


Weeping Angels

by HeartOnATrigger



Category: Fantastic Four (Movieverse), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Bastard Child, Betrayal, Brief Appearance From The Fantastic Four, F/M, Gen, Kid Loki, Kid Thor, Lies, Multi, Obviously Frigga Loves Loki More, Odin's Bad Parenting, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Thor: The Dark World, Pre-Thor: The Dark World, Prisoner Loki, Thor Feels, Thor Finds A Family, Thor Is Not Stupid, Thor Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2015-07-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 23:11:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2086701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeartOnATrigger/pseuds/HeartOnATrigger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Rated M for language and possible sexual themes)<br/>(Takes place after the Avengers)</p><p>Thor struggles with his brother's upcoming execution while learning of his true heritage and is forced to make decisions about love, family, and power that could tear apart the fabrics of the universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.
> 
> Author's Note: This fanfic is a mix of ideas from myself and a fellow Thor lover, who has an account on fanfiction.net @ Glarinetta. Together, we created this fanfiction.

**One**

* * *

Once Thor and Loki set foot down on Asgard, Thor shoved Loki towards the waiting guards, ignoring Loki's genuine look of pure horror as he was tugged off to god knows where. Nodding at Heimdall, Thor twirled Mjolnir around a few times before taking off into the air towards the castle. He had missed Asgard while he was away. He missed his large, soft bed and his balcony that looked over the entire land. Being on Midgard for business reasons wasn't his idea of a fun vacation, but he would take what he could get. However, not seeing Jane had brought down his mood drastically. Did she still have feelings for him? Did he have them for her? He wished to return so then he would know. Being out of the loop was annoying and very stressful, and the last thing he needed was more stress on top of the stress he already had.

Touching down on his balcony, he threw open the glass, pushed aside the curtains, and stepped into his room. It was what Jane might call his own apartment. He had a kitchen and pantry in the next room over, plus a sitting room across the hall from his kitchen, and then two bathrooms, one being attached to his huge bedroom. On his wall hung the heads of his kills, mounted on wooden frames with golden plaques displaying the animal's name and the date it was killed. Also on his walls were display cases of medals, trophies, and other awards he won over his years. In a secret room behind his walk in closet were his weapons, where he kept his most prized knives, axes, swords, etc. Mjolnir was also placed in there on a stand made for him years ago by Loki, something Thor hadn't had the heart to do when trying to forget the brother he thought was dead.

Contrary to popular belief, Thor actually did like to read, which explained the many bookcases that lined the remaining wall space in his room. The bookshelves were over flowing and sitting in neatly stacked piles all around the room were even more books. He liked fairy tales from his child hood, adventures, poems, almost basically anything. He never let anyone into his bedroom, because this was a room that contained a private side of him that he wanted to remain hidden, but he did let them see the sitting room, which was also filled with overflowing bookcases. It was okay if his guests saw books out there, because they would be mistaken for show, not mistaken for books that he would actually read.

His bed took of the remainder of his room, huge, soft, and filled with pillows and blankets.

Thor trudged to his master bathroom, dragging his feet as he shed clothes as he walked. His clothes, scattered along the floor, were the least of his worries; the servants would clean up for him if he asked. And they'd be more than happy too, since he asked them for help very little.

Adjusting his water to boiling hot, Thor slipped into his large bath, groaning as the water burned his skin and relaxed his muscles. Grabbing the soap and a nearby rag, Thor began to scrub his body, the water turning a dingy gray as dirt and sweat was worked off his skin. Asgardian soap was known for removing all dead skin and dirt from the body, a reason the gods were always so clean. As Thor washed, he thought about Loki. Would their father be fair? Was Odin ever Loki's father? Was Odin anyone's father?

Now that he thought about it, Thor could count the number of times Odin was nice to Loki on one hand, and it made him feel crappy because he was supposed to be Loki's anchor, but instead he was just another Odin. So many years wasted because of his arrogance and selfishness when he came to his family. He had just assumed that his mother, father, and brother would always be there. But then, if he had been a better person before, he never would have met Jane or the other Avengers.

Sighing heavily, Thor rose from the water and walked back to his bedroom with a towel.

He stood in front of his closet, staring through half-lidded eyes. He felt like dropping dead on the ground. He would never understand why his father didn't like the Odin sleep. Being able to sleep for a few weeks, months, or even years at a time sounded incredibly refreshing. He wished he could do that, just to get away from responsibility of being Thor Odinson, a never ending job that made him feel like he was aging ten times faster than normal.

Grabbing soft pants and a cotton shirt from his closet, he pulled them on, deciding to go barefoot. His castle, after all. Or soon to be his castle. Hair still wet, Thor let his quarters and traveled down the hallway towards the back end of the castle, where the staircases led to the prisoners. On his way, he was met with a friend of his, a servant Oceanus. He was always rather strange, or at least only Thor thought so because every time he looked up, Oceanus was staring at him and then he'd smile knowingly. Thor never made a comment about it. Oceanus was carrying a tray of food undoubtedly for him. 

"Thor!" Oceanus exclaimed. "I was just coming to bring you dinner, since you did not attend the celebratory feast earlier."

Thor frowned, "There was a celebratory feast? What ever for?"

Oceanus looked a little nervous, looking down at the floor briefly before whispering, "The people of Asgard were ecstatic that Loki was being put in prison. They are awaiting his trial and they hope he will be executed."

Thor gawked at the servant, jaw dropped, eyes wide.  
Surely....surely Odin wouldn't _kill_ his own son, right? That's not something he would do, of course not. Thor swallowed loudly, straightening and taking the tray from Oceanus' hands. "Clean my armor, I will be taking this food with me elsewhere."

Suddenly, Oceanus looked nervous and tried to persuade Thor to do otherwise. "No!, " he exclaimed. "Just...eat the food now!"

Thor was already walking down the hall towards the back staircase hidden behind the wall, a secret passage way only he and Loki knew about. And Heimdall. Heimdall, the nosy bastard, knew everything. Making sure Oceanus was gone, Thor thumped a fist against the wall and grinned when it slid open slowly. Excited, Thor almost pranced down the stairs, door closing quietly behind him. 

* * *

"Do you have an obsession with me?" Loki asked, not looking up from his book as Thor came down the secret passageway. Secretly, he was pleased. Having Thor still under his manipulative thumb was a nice perk, something that could guarantee his eventual freedom from his magic enhanced cage. 

Thor didn't answer, instead sliding the tray of food into the small, concrete slot and closing it again tightly. He looked up to face Loki, suddenly nervous. It was strange, seeing his brother in a cage like an animal. Loki, however, looked so calm, reading one of the many books on the bookshelf, provided by Frigga, of course. Compared to the other cells Thor has seen, Loki has the nicest one. Loki's cell has an actual bed, for one, with blankets, a mattress, and pillows. He has a few clothes, and he knows that their mother also brings down water and soap for Loki to bathe. Thor thought it was stupid of Odin to put Loki in a cell because either way, he would still be spoiled by their mother. He knew it, everyone knew it.

Biting his lip, Thor said, "I wish for things to be better between us. But now we only have limited time."

"Explain," Loki ordered, staring at the tray of food suspiciously. There was something off about it. To his eye, he could see the magic covering the food, a magic different and slightly more dangerous than his own.

"I....I heard you were to be....executed," Thor whispered.

Loki's head jerked up, stunned. " _What_?"

Thor nodded. He was glad Loki was being social today, because he didn't think he could taking sitting with a silent, judgmental Loki again for a very long time. It was hard enough fighting Loki on Midgard.

"Oh, to hell with it," Loki groaned, waving a hand dismissively. "Mother will never let it happen." Thor didn't have time to grin smugly at Loki assigning himself as Frigga's kin before Loki hissed, "Are you trying to _poison_ me? I thought better of you."

Thor's brow scrunched and Loki tensed. Thor was sincerely confused. He knew because Thor was a horrible liar and it was ludicrous to even think that Thor would be able to give him poisoned food and be nonchalant about it.

"Where did you get this food from?" Loki demanded, striding up to the edge of his cage, almost pounding his fists against the magic glass. "Tell me!"

Thor whispered, "I-I-I got it from a servant, he said it was for me and I wasn't hungry so I thought--"

"You didn't notice it was poison!?"

"I can't see magic, you know this!" Thor yelled defensively. "Have you not been mocking me for my lack of skill in magic for the past few thousand years?"

"Oh, quit your complaining at not having my talent," Loki screamed. "Do you realize that someone was trying to poison you? And had I not noticed it, I would have been poisoned too!"

Thor fell silent at the revelation. Now everything made sense, why Oceanus was suddenly horrified at Thor not eating the food right away, why he insisted that the food was specifically for Thor. And now that he thought about it, the food did have a strange glow to it, something he hadn't noticed before on his quest to visit Loki. Embarrassed, Thor murmured, "Thank you for saving our lives?"

Loki clenched his jaw and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Honestly, brother, what am I going to do with you?" For a moment, Loki looked like the brother Thor used to know, full of harmless mischief and fondness disguised as cruel snark. Once upon a time, Loki used to call Thor "idiot" or "oaf" out of love. Now....

"Love me as I love you," Thor said immediately, quickly realizing his mistake.

Loki's walls slammed back into place, and he recoiled, turning sharply on his heel and tossing the magic drugged food into the trash chute that ended by Thor's feet. A snarling Loki said, "Find out who tried to kill you and get rid of them."

A clear dismissal.

Fighting back tears, something Thor had been doing for as long as he could remember, Thor took the food and started back up the secret stairwell. Before the door closed behind him, Thor whispered, "I miss you."

Just as turned away and started to climb, Thor heard a whispered, "And I you, you blonde haired fool," in reply. 

A single tear slid down Thor's cheek. He angrily scrubbed it away, ashamed at his weakness. Tossing the food in the trash, Thor rushed back to his quarters and ignored his now clean armor and threw himself on the bed, burying himself in the covers. Pulling a book from under his bed, Thor opened it. In the box were all the drawing and letters Thor gave to Loki when they were younger. When they were closer. During...simpler times.

Thor fell asleep clutching a child's drawing of him and Loki stealing fresh, golden apples from Idunn's garden.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

**Two**

* * *

 Thor woke up early the next morning, eyes creaking open painfully. He groaned and pulled the covers over his head to block out the sunlight streaming in from his balcony he didn't remember leaving open last night. Perhaps it was just one of those days, the ones where he'd get extremely stressed and couldn't remember how to do anything, not even how to lace his boots. Scrubbing a hand over his face, Thor rolled out of bed and ran his feet over his bear skin rug for a few seconds before shuffling to the bathroom.

His morning routine was quick. He had to hurry if he wanted to find Oceanus. Thor had no doubt that Oceanus knew that Thor was on to him, but he had to at least try to understand Oceanus's motivation for wanting to poison him. Thor knew he wasn't the easiest Odinson to care for--he had a habit of making a mess and throwing his dirty clothes on the ground and sometimes on the chandeliers and once he even managed to sleepwalk and pee over the balcony, something he still hadn't lived down--but he was the nicest, besides Frigga. Thor always smiled and greeted his servants politely, and at least made an attempt to not make as much as a mess as he used to. Besides, as he got older, he was more capable of taking care of himself, so it wasn't like the servants were breaking their backs cleaning up after him anymore.

Thor stared at his now clean armor hanging in the display case in his sitting room. He frowned. Oceanus had cleaned that amour. Who knows if he put itching powder in it or enchanted his cape. He didn't want to take any chances. However, it would be more dangerous to confront a potential enemy without the proper protection. Thor pulled on his gleaming armor and bright red cape, pushing his hair out of his face, noticing how long it had gotten, past his shoulders!

Grabbing his hammer, he left his chambers and went in search of Oceanus.

* * *

_Almost a day earlier..._

Realizing Thor wasn't going to eat the food given to him, Oceanus swore and quickly walked away, his boots making no sound as he did. Mother would be angry with him for not completing his mission. He was supposed to drug the prince and bring him to Mother. The dosage he put in the food was enough to put ten Asgardians down three times over, but Thor was a different case. He was stronger, so the effect the drug would have had to him was unknown. Oceanus had hoped that it would have made Thor a little drunk at least, unsteady on his feet and unaware of his surroundings.

Leaving Asgard was as easy as entering. Heimdall, whether he could see Oceanus or not, clearly knew nothing about the pathway between worlds that sat right under the water of the bifrost.The portal did move sometimes, though, and Oceanus knew exactly where it would be today. It was ridiculous, really, how little these Asgardians knew about their home. They could be attacked at any moment in time and they would all sit and wonder where the attack came from, oblivious to the portals that were wide open all over their golden realm.

Oceanus hadn't asked his mother questions when she asked for Thor, only knew that he was important to her. She never said, told him that if he was caught, he'd have a better chance of being let free if he knew nothing of her intentions for the Asgardian prince.

He didn't have the prince to bring back to his mother, but he did have information on how to willingly bring the prince to her. During his time being Thor's servant, he was invited to hear many of Thor's secrets, things like his love for the mortal woman, Jane Foster, and his desperation to save his borderline insane younger brother who was currently being held in an underground dungeon for being a menace to society.

Inhaling sharply, Oceanus jumped and formed the perfect dive, jumping right into the lake in the back part of the village and swimming to the bottom to the waiting, gaping hole in the ground.

* * *

 

Finding a servant was harder than Thor thought it would be. It was even harder because no one else besides him seemed to know that Oceanus even existed. Thor thought about asking his mother and father and then quickly decided against it. They won't even let him leave the castle without as escort--which he thought was completely idiotic, considering he was an adult--and if they caught wind of this little assassination attempt, he'd never get to see Jane again. Swallowing his frustrations, Thor continued his search. 

He checked the kitchens first, and asked around to see if anyone had seen Oceanus, giving a very detailed description in hopes of jogging someone's memory.

"Prince Thor," Cook Annabelle whispered. "I know everyone that has ever worked in this castle. Oceanus is no one I've ever heard of before!"

Thor left the kitchen, annoyed and slightly embarrassed. What if he had imagined the entire thing? What if Oceanus was a figment of his imagination, made to fill the void in his heart that was desperate to have someone care about him for the first time in a long time? He remembers having imaginary friends when he was younger, remember thinking they were real, talking to them. Some of his friends weren't even children, some were fully grown adults! 

When he had told his father about the visits he received from a beautiful blonde haired woman and her many children and siblings, Odin had beat him good and told him that imaginary friends were for lesser creatures. And so he gave him them. Now that he thought about it, Thor doesn't think he ever forgave his father for that. 

Shaking his head, Thor continued down the hall, wondering where to go next. Oceanus could have possibly escaped hours ago when he realized Thor wasn't going to eat the food himself, meaning he had almost a day head start. And Thor wasn't going to leave the castle with an escort, because then he would have to tell people where he was going.

Thor felt himself become even more miserable when he remembered that some people were able to find the portals between worlds and walk between them, another mode of transportation that was more discreet that using the bifrost. Speaking of the bifrost, how had Heimdall not seen Oceanus giving Thor a tray of poisoned food? Did this mean Oceanus was skilled in magic? Thor was dying to run down to see Loki, to get answers from the best sorcerer he knew, but he could not bring himself to see Loki again so soon. Loki would know that he had cried, and then Loki would act like he wasn't touched by trying to destroy whatever was left of Thor's fragile, battered soul. And besides, Thor also had to prove Loki innocent, something that would be extremely hard because of how Loki spent majority of his life. Even if Thor had evidence that proved Loki's innocence on the attack against Midgard, there would be no way he could justify Loki sending the Destroyer to kill him while he was human; couldn't justify the reason Loki let the Frost Giants into Asgard on his coronation day because even though he hadn't been ready to be a king at that point in time, letting Frost Giants into Asgard was a clear indication that Loki couldn't care less about the citizens that lived here.

Combine that task with the chore of hunting down Oceanus, and the challenge of getting back to Midgard, it was all simply too much. 

Taking a deep breath, Thor decided to do things one at a time, starting with the easiest task.

Getting a message to Jane.

* * *

 

"You know your father doesn't want you out of the castle without an escort," Frigga reminds him, not looking up from the dress she was sewing. Thor briefly wondered why Loki had loved to sit here with her and watch as a child. Thor didn't want to admit that it was because of his poor brotherhood. "And the bifrost isn't even close to the palace gates. He won't like it."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," Thor murmurs, pleading with his eyes. Finally, Frigga looks up. She looks like she wants to say no. Thor wouldn't be surprised; he always thought that Loki was Frigga's favorite, for reasons unknown to him. "Please?"

Frigga sighed heavily and Thor grinned, spinning on his heel and striding towards the balcony. As he's spinning his hammer, ready to take off, Frigga yells over the wind, "Don't tell your father I said yes!"

And he's off, flying at breakneck speed towards the bifrost and his friend Heimdall.

* * *

 

"I have orders not to help you make any kind of contact with that realm."

Sometimes, Heimdall is annoying. Thor knows this, he's even sure _Heimdall_ knows this. It's typical for a person who can see [almost] everything to become an annoying know it all who likes to pretend that he isn't _the_ treason committing criminal, as if he hadn't betrayed Odin (and, for a time, Loki) for Thor several times. They both know how this conversation will play out.

Heimdall will say he is loyal to Odin, his king, and that he must follow orders. And then Thor will look adorable and say something surprisingly witty, and then Heimdall will do as Thor says, giving Thor what he wants yet again. They both know how the conversation will play out at times like this. They always know. And even though they know, it doesn't stop them from doing it. 

Sure enough, Thor says, "Father said I could not make any kind of contact _"that realm."_ Not once did he ever say I could not go or make contact with Midgard. He conveniently left that part out."

And Heimdall allows a small smile. It's not something you see everyday from a presumably stoic person like Heimdall, but when you do see it, it's amazing. Heimdall nods. "What did you have in mind, Prince Thor?"

"Please," Thor snorted. "Drop the fancy titles. I am Thor, and you're Heimdall." His smile gets bigger, and Thor loves it, feels safe and wanted here, standing on the edge of the bifrost with his father's oldest friend. "I would like to send Jane a letter."

"A love not," Heimdall monotones, walking away from the edge and towards the nearly repaired observatory, Thor at his heels. "How romantic of you."

Thor glares. "How else would you suggest I get in touch with her?"

Heimdall gets this look in his eye that looks a little bit wicked.

Thor might be just a little bit terrified.

* * *

 

Jane is sitting in her lab, brooding, when she hears Darcy scream. Now, she doesn't think much of it. Not necessarily because Darcy cries wolf, but because Darcy screams over literally everything. The new iPhone came out? Scream. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki making sexy faces at a camera? Even louder scream. Accidentally dropping her entire plate of freshly made French Toast? She screams bloody freaking murder.

So, when Jane hears Darcy scream, she doesn't even flinch. Instead, she stares at the page of equations in front of her and wonders why Thor hasn't come back yet. Her mother always warned her about those drifter types, and now Jane is starting to think that maybe she should have listened. It's been almost two years since she'd seen Thor, and then she had to find out that he was back on Earth for days and didn't come to see her from SHIELD agents.

No, they didn't tell her, but they were unaware of his presence when they were discussing the alien invasion in New York that started the Avengers, a group of remarkable people, to see if they could become something more. So they could fight the battles that the normal people couldn't. Turns out, Thor had been on Earth for a few days and hadn't even tried to see her. Was she bitter? Hell yeah.

But she was significantly less bitter when one of the agents who was on the helicarrier with the rest of the Avengers let it slip that Jane and Darcy were in freaking Norway because Thor wanted them as far away as possible while Loki was playing the bad guy. At least he hadn't forgotten about her, and that earned him major brownie points. She was insecure, sue her! Thor was god, thousands of years old and forever good looking. She was mortal and forgetful of her mortal state. It showed through her daily displays of forgetting to feed herself, running in the path of the Destroyer two years back, and falling in love with an immortal man from another realm. 

Gritting her teeth, Jane pushed the equations away, deciding to do them later. They were the equations for her invention, the Einsten-Rosen bridge, but without Thor here, she didn't have much to go on. The entire purpose of the idea wasn't even soley to see other worlds, it was mainly focused on getting Thor back to Earth because in all honesty? She was doing crazy here by herself. The two year dry spell was not generous, she can admit that without shame. Her vibrator is the only thing that got her through the first six months, but after that, it got worse. And she had thought that maybe she could go out and have sex with someone.

That didn't work for two reasons.

One-it made he think about Thor cheating (does it even count as cheating if they were never officially a thing?) on her with Sif, the beautiful warrior goddess more worthy of Thor's attention than she'd ever be and Two-she couldn't even make herself slightly attracted to other men. Thor had ruined her. His loud laughter and huge smile and long, blonde hair. His broad shoulders and inhumanly sized biceps paired along with washboard abs. And it wasn't even just looks. Thor was actually a nice guy, something that was hard to come across these days. But Thor was respectful of her, liked her intelligence and encouraged her obsession with the stars, and he had given his word that he would return for her.

Taking a deep breath, Jane stopped her thoughts and turned her attention towards the open door of her lab, where a frantic Darcy was, waving her hands around wildly and hissing, "Jane, stop sciencing, this is important, swear on my life-"

"How important?" Jane asks patiently, rising from her chair and pondering if she wanted to get in the shower first before climbing into bed. It had been a long week, after all. "Did you drop your French Toast again?"

"Thor is upstairs!" Darcy screeched.

Jane wasn't athletic by any means, but she Darcy said that, she hadn't even considered that it would be a joke. She was just tired of waiting and Thor had finally come back. Maybe even to stay. And if not that, to work out vists. Jane almost knocked Darcy over running up the stairs, stumbling a little when her sneaker caught on the edge of the table. Instead of balancing herself, she went flying, almost colliding with--

Holy shit.

A huge, shimmering portal was sitting in the middle of her SHIELD issued living room. Did SHIELD have this room bugged? Filled with cameras? God, she hoped not.  She had masturbated a few times out here with Thor on the brain when Darcy went out and had a life. Now she'd never be able to look a SHIELD agent in the eye. 

Looking into the portal, Jane sees Thor. He sees her. She smiles. He smiles back.

It's depressing, though, but just a little, because when Darcy said Thor was upstairs, she wanted him to be here physically so she could throw herself at him and even do some inappropriate things with their tongues. Clearing her throat, Jane struggles to keep her cool. She knows she's failing horribly, though, because Darcy and Thor and chuckling.

Jane pants a little, winded from her run up here.

"Jane," Thor whispers. "Still as beautiful as I remember."

Another reason Thor was amazing. He's complimenting her even when she knows she had oil streaked across her face, hair matted down with sweat in random parts of her head, and she hadn't brushed her teeth in a while. And he meant it. Jane blushes, looking away.

"I thought.....I thought you forgot about me."

Darcy takes that as her cue to leave, sauntering out of the room, shooting Jane a smug grin. Jane blushes even more, glad Darcy was finally god. 

"I gave you my word," Thor smiles. "I cannot return now, however, although I wish to."  
"Why not?" Jane asks.

"The bifrost, the only mode of transportation I know how to use, is currently broken. It's been broken for two years actually." And that's when it all makes sense to Jane. He wasn't in Asgard just because, he was in Asgard because he couldn't leave. She's so relieved. "But now we have the Tesseract, and soon, the bifrost will be fixed, and then I shall come back for you."

"And when you get here?" Jane challenged. "What will you do? Will you stay?"

Thor peeks up at her through his long eyelashes and she's a goner. "For as long as you will have me."

She swoons a little.  
They talk a bit more before Thor has to leave, because the portal is fading and he says that it shouldn't even have lasted that long. Before the mirror like portal flickers out of existence, Thor pressing his hand against it. Jane puts her hand on his. For a split second, it's almost like they're touching. Thor disappears and Jane doesn't bother with that shower or sleep. 

Instead, she gets started on her rainbow bridge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave comments to tell me what you think of this chapter!


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing. 
> 
> Author's Note: My fans! I am terribly sorry to keep you all waiting! High school is very stressful and time consuming. Hopefully I'll be more available after I finish up some projects. Don't abandon me yet!

**Three**

* * *

After pulling his sweaty shirt off his body, Thor collapsed on the couch in Sif's house, inhaling the house's natural scent of apple pie. Her mother owned one of the most famous bakery's in Asgard, her pies and cakes being the most delicious pastries to have ever touched a person's taste buds. Groaning, Thor set Mjolnir down on the small table in front of the couch and rolled over to his back, running a hand through his filthy blonde hair. 

He'd just finished sparring with Sif, the woman in question upstairs in the shower. He could hear her singing. Thor wanted to tell her about his talk with Jane, how Heimdall helped him create a temporary mirror to Midgard, but he didn't say anything. She was angry in the training field today. He could tell because her sword had almost impaled him through his stomach and she hadn't even seemed to care. Frowning, Thor wondered if it was something he did. He thought he and Sif were on good terms, as they usually were. They were comfortable with each other, best friends since childhood.

Thor smiled when he thought back on how they met. 

* * *

_"Ha!" Thor yelled, triumphant. "I have bested you in combat again, Fandral!"_

_Fandral staggered to his feet, rubbing the forming bruise on his chest. Volstagg says something that comes out muffled, food spewing from his mouth before giving up and stuffing his face with the cake he stole from the kitchens. Hogun, as he usually did, said nothing._   
_"Not everyone is the future God of Thunder," he grumbled._

_"He's the God of Thunder **now** , Fandral," Loki reminded him from the sidelines, green eyes peeking over the edge of his thick novel, as he always did when Thor was sparring. "Besides, you're just bitter and unfocused because Thor told that girl you liked that you picked your nose at the feasting table that one time."_

_Fandral spluttered, "I-I-I did n-no such thing!"_

_Thor looks over his shoulder to beam at his brother when something catches his eyes. There's someone hiding in the bushes._

_"You there!" Thor calls. "Come out before I call the guards!"_

_For a few moments, no one comes out. Thor gets ready to send Loki for the guards when a small person emerges from the bushes. A girl. Her dress is filthy, knees skinned, hair tangled and matted in a very unladylike fashion. Loki's nose wrinkles in disgust. Thor frowns._

_"Why were you hiding in the bushes? Are you the daughter of one of my servants?"_

_"I'm Sif," she says, meeting Thor's gaze head on. "And I should be so lucky if my mother was one of the pour souls to be in charge of washing your putrid feet."_

_Volstagg, Fandral, and Loki held their breaths. Hogun merely raised an eyebrow. Thor was known for his temper and his tendency to violently lash out at people who disrespected him. But instead, Thor tilted his head back and laughed loudly._

_"I did not know one could be so fiesty," he declares, smirking. "Why are you here, Sif.?"_

_"I want to fight too."_

_Volstagg and Fandral roared with laughter, slapping their knees, wiping the tears from their faces._

_"But you're a girl!" Fandral points out, slightly out of breath. "Why would you want to fight? I thought all you women did was learn magic."_

_Thor sees Sif's jaw clench, her fists curling and says, "But if she really wanted to, she could be the first female warrior in Asgard, right?" When no one responded, thunder boomed over head and Thor snarled, " **Right**?"_

_His friends nodded. Thor looked at Loki for an answer._

_Loki shrugs, "I don't care what you and the girl do, as long as you don't touch my things or get yourselves killed."_

_"Well then!" Thor grins at Sif. "Lady Sif, show me what you can do."_

* * *

"Did you just come to my house so you can take up space on my couch?"

Thor opens his eyes and sees a soaking wet Sif leaning over him, the towel barely covering her body. Thor sits up and smiles. Sif doesn't smile back. Instead, she looks like she wants to punch him in the throat. Thor swallows.

"Lady Sif," Thor begins. "Whatever I did-"

"And that's the worst part!" Sif exclaims. "You don't even know what you did!"

"I-I don't understand," Thor stammered. "What have I done to anger you?"

"Everything, you idiot," Sif snaps. "How stupid can you be?"

Thor remains silent, mentally going through everything that's transpired between he and Sif in the past few days. When he finds nothing particularly eye catching, he tries going back a week, a month, a year, and still nothing. Sif, always been one to guess what he's thinking, snarls. She jumps on him and starts to pound his fists into his body, screaming curses at him in a different language. Thor grips her now bare hips, and flips them over so he's now on top of her, his large hands pinning down her arms by her wrists. Her chest heaves as she struggles to catch her breath. 

Sif blushes, tugging her arms to get free. Thor doesn't let go.

"Release me," Sif demands. "Now."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"You used to love me like this," she whispers, brown eyes meeting blue. 

Thor looks down at them now, only now seeing Sif, her towel splayed open, her bare breasts, crushed into his bare chest, her legs wrapped around his waist. Thor rips himself away from her. He feels dirty, feels unfaithful to his Jane, patiently waiting for him on Midgard, as she has been doing for the past two years. Tears well in Sif's eyes and she pulls the towel around herself once more before hurrying to her feet and heading towards the door. Thor grabs her wrist.

"Sif," he begs.

"A mortal, Thor," Sif whispers. "A mortal is what you choose over me. I've been the laughing stock of Asgard."

"It wasn't like that," Thor insists, pulling her to him. Sif scrubs at her face angrily, embarrassed at her tears, at her weakness. "Please, Sif, don't do this."

"I...did you ever feel anything towards me? Or was I just another one of your _whores_?"

"Stop," Thor snaps. "Do not turn this on me. I never wanted it to end the way it did. You know that."

"You never even gave us a chance!" she screams. 

"There were no chances to give!" Thor yells back. "I never felt anything more for you than friendship, Sif, I'm sorry, but that's the truth." Sif starts to cry again and she struggles against his old on her wrist, twisting and straining to be let free. "But you are my best friend," Thor whispers. "Please, Sif, listen to me."

Sif looks up at him and Thor thinks she looks ridiculously young. The usual scowl is gone from her face and is instead replaced with childlike innocence, her brown eyes wide and ready to overflow with salt water. Her hair, wet and tangled, matted to her neck, trembling fingers weakly holding onto her thin towel. Her body shakes with restrained sobs and she looks away, taking in huge gulps of air.

"Leave."

"Sif-"

" _Leave_!"

Thor recoils like he's been slapped and slowly backs away. When Sif makes no move to stop him, Thor grabs his things and heads for the door. Gripping the doorknob, Thor promises, "It wasn't because of you." When she doesn't answer, Thor nods once, twice, and closes the door.

Walking towards the palace, feeling emotionally drained, Thor can still hear Sif's sobs.

* * *

Thor did not go to dinner that night. From his chambers, he can hear the loud cheering and the shattering of glasses, followed by shouts of, "Another!" He felt ill, like he was going to throw up everything inside him. He lays down on the floor in his bedroom, staring at the ceiling, wondering how he got here. The ceiling was painted to look like the sky, with white twinkling stars on the black background, along with the moon. Thor bits his bottom lip and swallows heavily. Everything was falling apart. He blamed himself, of course.

If he hadn't gone to Jotunheim that day, he never would have been banished. In turn, Loki wouldn't have tried to kill him, and he would have never met Jane. Maybe, then, he'd end up with Sif, he'd be king with Loki by his side instead of locked away in a dungeon. 

 _No_ , he thinks, _it goes back farther than that_. Maybe he should've been a better brother to Loki, and then none of this would have never happened. But no matter what Thor thought, it wouldn't change anything. The damage was already done. Hearts were broken, people were killed, and all Thor could do was lay down in the middle of his bedroom floor and think wishfully. 

Doing the math, Thor concluded that he lost the love of his life in less than a week, lost his brother in what was actually centuries ago but was then just a few minutes, spent two years missing the love of his life and thinking Loki was dead...

Thor's head started to hurt. Groaning, Thor rolled himself over onto his stomach and pressed his forehead onto his rug, closing his eyes. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could travel back in time and make everything right. But, unfortunately, that wasn't how things worked. But he wishes it was. Oh, how he wishes.

"Thor?" Frigga's voice makes Thor look up to see his mother standing in the doorway with a tray of food and a huge cup of mead. "I brought you dinner."

Just the thought of food makes Thor's stomach turn so he looks away and mumbles, "I'm not hungry."

Frigga looks at Thor in shock. Thor was always the first one in the feasting hall, the first one to pile his plate high, inhale the contents, and go back for more. Thor, not hungry? 

"Is the world ending?" Frigga asks, setting the tray down on a table by the door before stepping inside and crouching next to Odin's son. "Why aren't you hungry?"

"Is it true?" Thor asks instead, turning back around to face her, eyes wide and filled with horror. "Is Sif the laughing stock of Asgard?"

Frigga clears her throat and lays a comforting hand on Thor's muscular shoulder. He jerks away, silently demanding an answer. Sighing, Frigga stands up straight and sits on Thor's bed, patting the spot next to her. Thor's at her side in an instant, horribly impatient. Taking a deep breath, Frigga nods. Thor snarls.

"Thor," Frigga says quickly before he can do anything drastic like go hunting Asgardians with Mjolnir, "sit and listen." After a moment, Thor nods, jaw clenched, and allows Frigga to pull him back down onto the bed. Turning to face the prince as best as she could, she continues. "When you turned down the proposal that her father offered you, no one thought anything of it. I mean, you were young, you still had time before you actually _needed_ to settle down and continue your bloodline. So it was perfectly fine then, no one was offended. Years passed, and everyone was certain that you would take Sif as your wife, your queen anyways. You walked around Asgard with your head held high and, while it may have meant something different for you, constantly having your hands on Sif gave off certain vibes."

When Thor only stared, Frigga continues, "But then you were banished to Midgard, and in your time there, only _days_ , mind you, you had fallen in love with a _mortal_. You chose a fragile, destined for death creature over Sif, the Warrior Maiden. Her reputation was ruined. She was known as the woman who was rejected, pushed aside for someone who won't even last you a century."

"That is not fair!" Thor said through clenched teeth. "I never....I never had any romantic feelings for Sif."

Frigga smiles knowingly and nods, "Of course not, dear," placating him.

Rising to her feet, the Queen of Asgard ruffles Thor's hair and leaves the room, calling, "Eat your vegetables!" over her shoulder.

* * *

_3 days later_

"I shouldn't," Thor says to himself, throwing Mjolnir from one hand to the next as he paces in his room. "I shouldn't be down there. Not...not when I'm already in so much trouble." He had been confronted a few days about Sif's current depressed state. Apparently, the Warrior Maiden has yet to leave her room. Sometimes, when people walk by her house, they can hear her crying. "I shouldn't go see Loki," Thor says. "He wont know what to do anyways, being locked in that cell. It's not like he can see up here...'

He shouldn't. He really shouldn't.

Thor's eyes slide over to his dresser where he sees a magic mirror. It was like the Midgardian telephones, only this way, you see the face of the person you are communicating with. Loki had one as well, in his room. Thor had gotten his from Loki, any how. Stashing his mirror in his hidden cape pocket, he makes the hike to Loki's room, hoping it wasn't rigged with spells anymore. The last time he'd tried to get into Loki's room without permission...well, let's just say his hair had never been that short in his life, and he wasn't looking to experience it again. 

Slowly, twisting the doorknob, Thor peered into the room. Noticing the clean state of the room, the lack of dust and clean sheets, he concluded that Frigga or one of her trusted servants was in here to clean, meaning the room was safe to go in. Closing the door behind him, Thor's hit with an intense wave of nostalgia. He remembers when Loki would let Thor in, showing him the magic he wasn't supposed to know, smiling with pride when Thor cheered and asked for more. And he remembers coming in here when he Loki had bad dreams, letting Loki cling to him and sleep in his bed. 

Clearing his throat, he went immediately to the trunk under Loki's bed that he probably wasn't supposed to know about. He even knew the password. His birthday. Rummaging around in the trunk, he eventually came up with a shining green and black mirror, the opposite of his red and blue one. Thor smiles. If he tries hard enough, he can erase this new, insane Loki with the gentle, caring Loki of the past, who would braid Thor's hair and whisper words of encouragement whenever he got upset when a teacher called him stupid. 

Quickly rising to his feet, Thor makes a plan. It was stupid, yes, but also semi guaranteed to fix at least half of his problems. However, he first had to gain Loki's trust. It would be temporary, though, because eventually Loki would want something else in return, something like his freedom from the prison he rightfully earned his place in. Taking a deep breath, Thor set out for the secret passageway.

* * *

"Not that I don't enjoy our chats," Loki murmurs, not taking his eyes off the ceiling, "but why are you here? Mother told me you were distraught. Upset about my upcoming execution?"

Thor frowns. "Father is having a gathering tomorrow," he admits, "and then he will decide what to do with you. Until then, we have time."

"We?"

Thor nods.  
"I've come to make a deal, brother," Thor says, glad to see he caught Loki's attention.

"What kind of deal?" Loki asked cautiously. "Will I be harmed?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Thor sighs, running a hand through his tangled hair. Loki follows the movement and swallows against the urge to voice his disapproval of Thor's messy hair. He doesn't want Thor to say anything about the past, when he'd brush it for him. Thor, oblivious to Loki's inner turmoil, slides his green and black mirror into the small slot. "I'm going to leave Asgard soon. I'm giving you this mirror so you can contact me with any news you may have. I want you to listen for your trail date and exact punishment, listen for news of Sif, and listen for Jotunheim."

Loki scoffs. "And why would I help you, fool? Do you think you can trust me?"

Thor looks away.  
"I wish I could," he whispered. "But you will help me. If everything turns out, you'll be free."

Loki is silent. He stares at his brother--no, not my brother--in shock. Thor, offering a prison break. Well, not really a prison break because Thor will be finding evidence of Loki's innocence, but still. What Thor was suggesting was treason, not to mention crazy and just not going to work.

He looks up with a smile. With his freedom being offered, a promise Thor was sure not to break, Loki knew that this was his only true chance of getting out of that wretched place.

"When do we start?"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Until next time, young grasshoppers!


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

**Four**

* * *

 Gaea slowly traced the carvings in her table with her fingertips, struggling to remain patient. She'd been waiting for thousands of years. Exactly 3500 years ago, Odin Borson lied to her, impregnated her, and ran off with her child. She clenched her jaw. Just thinking about it made her feel homicidal. Even worse, Odin had learned about her magic and found a way to keep her from Asgard. She'd only seen her babe for a split second, and he'd be fully grown now, but she knew that if she saw him, she'd know right away.

Turning away from the table, Gaea looked out the window, awaiting Oceanus's return from Asgard. She smirked. Odin had not been able to keep her son out. It had been horrifyingly easy to get into Asgard because there were so many secret portals that no one knew about. She wondered how Odin would react if he knew that his precious kingdom was actually a weak fortress, nothing like it had been in his father's reign. Oceanus had been in Asgard on and off for years now, and so he could somewhat understand her desire to meet her son. 

"Thor," she whispered, wanting to feel the name roll off her tongue. "My Thor."

Once, when Oceanus had come to report to her thousands of years ago, he told her of her young son, energetic and loyal and full of magic. She had been overjoyed at the news, as any parents would, but when Oceanus, her first born son, returned to Asgard to continue his spying, she flew into a rage unlike anything anyone's ever seen, furious at being unable to see Thor conjure his first thunderstorm.

"Truly your child, mother," Oceanus promised her once. "Wasn't even talking yet, and his nanny was struck with lightning, only after she hit him, of course."

All of Gaea's children were powerful. They had to be.

But hearing that Thor retained some of her magic skills, some of her talent, had caused her joy, something she hadn't felt in a long time. And at her request, Oceanus told her the stories of Thor, God of Thunder, who grew to be tall, handsome, and strong, with thick hair that looked like it was woven from gold. 

So focused on Oceanus's tales of Thor on Asgard, it took her a long time to realize that Odin had foolishly banished Thor to Earth, where she resided. However, her victory was very short lived when, just days later, Thor regained the ability to use Mjolnir (she cursed Odin for making Thor think that he even needed that worthless piece of metal) and returned to Asgard. So she went back to the traditional ways of having some sort of relationship with her son, even if it was one sided.

"Mother."

Gaea spun around on her heel and strode forward to meet Oceanus, eyes wide with excitement as she exclaimed, "How is he? Is he alright? What was he doing? Is-"

"Spying on him has become a lot harder," Oceanus reminds her quietly as he brushes past her, throwing himself face down on the couch. Gaea snarled, and he immediately sat up. "Why is he so bloody important, anyways? He's just another one of your children, one of _many_."

Oceanus hadn't even seen it coming; Gaea slapped him across his face, leaving a huge red mark on is face. 

"If you are implying that I'm a cheap harlot," Gaea hissed, "then may I kindly remind you that you are also a result of my eagerness to spread my legs for anyone." Oceanus's face burned with embarrassment. "Now, tell me about Thor."

"He's distressed," Oceanus grumbled bitterly, rubbing his cheek. "He recently returned to Asgard with the Tesseract--did I tell you that the Chitauri had wanted it--from Earth, along with his traitor adoptive brother, Loki. The frost giant runt is now in a prison cell, awaiting his execution date while Thor struggles to find a way back to Earth, while at the same time prove Loki innocent."

"Thor wants to come back?" Gaea gasped. 

"Not for you," Oceanus flinches when Gaea's face crumples. "He...he fell in love with a mortal woman here, Jane Foster, a scientist. He's also made friends with the mortals, some being Tony Stark, billionaire and also a genuis, Captain America, Darcy Lewis, and Erik Selvig. There are more, but I really don't feel like listing them all."

"Mortals...," Gaea whispered, turning away from her son to think. "This is my chance, Oceanus. I can use the mortals to draw Thor here! And if the mortals are here, especially the one he loves, he won't have a reason to return to Asgard. Tell me, my son," Oceanus brightens at her acknowledging his relation to her, "does Odin know of these people?"

Frowning, he replied, "He knows of Jane Foster, but I don't think he really takes Thor's feeling for her seriously. Whenever Thor brings her up, Odin constantly steers him to Sif, the warrior maiden who has had a crush on Thor since they were children. Thor, however, remains firmly in love with Jane. He's even made contact with her once. She...," Oceanus looks away.

"What?" Gaea screams. " _WHAT_?!"

"J-Jane," he stammers. "She's smart. A genius, like that Tony Stark person. From what I've gathered, Jane is building a machine that could allow her to open a portal to Asgard, or any other realm, and pull Thor through, or or pull herself through."

Everything was falling into place. Gaea never imagined it would be this easy. Walking forward, she pulled Oceanus into a hug, and he eased eagerly into her embrace. She lovingly ran her thin fingers through his thick head of brown hair. This Jane Foster was the key. The key to getting to Asgard, to taking back her son. Gaea thought of how she would trick the mortal woman before realizing that she wouldn't have to; if Jane was in love with Thor, she would happily welcome anyone who could help her build this machine. Gaea had, in fact, been to Asgard once to see her Thor when he was a child. It was before Odin put the wards up, locking her out. She had sang to him, and he had reached up for her, bottom lip trembling as her mouthed, "Mama?"

_Yes_ , she thought. This was her chance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Leave comments to tell me what you think!


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaea meets Jane, they make a deal, and Gaea's plan in put in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

**Five**

* * *

Gaea stared at the house in front of her. 

It wasn't much, not by her standards, but she supposed that the mortals, such strange creatures, preferred to live without luxury. 

She'd have to proceed carefully. The mortal would become suspicious if she was too interested, and she hoped it was the case because the last thing she wanted was for her son to have fallen in love with a stupid, too trusting human. Striding forward, she did not knock on the door, and instead she used her magic to unlock the back door, quietly sliding it open. When she looked around, she could not see Jane or any other mortal in sight.

Heels clicking on the floor, Gaea ran a hand over a shelf, glancing at the strange paintings that sat in frames. Books overflowed the shelves, giving the room a very cluttered feeling. Gaea jerked her hand back in disgust she her fingers ran through something wet and sticky. Disgusting. Mortals were such filthy creatures. It's obvious that the reason Thor fell in love with one is because of what Odin did, making him human for a time, making her poor child sympathize with the pathetic creatures. However, she couldn't have gotten close to Thor, anyways. With Odin controlling Thor and his power, he would have been useless to her as a human, weak and fragile. 

"Um."

Gaea turned and smiled. "Greetings. I am Gaea, of Asgard."

"Oh my god," the mortal squeals. "I'm Darcy Lewis! Jane's in the lab, come on--wait. How do I know you're of Asgard?"

Gaea thought this mortal was much more intelligent than she thought she would be.  
"I know Jane is trying to build a Bifrost to get to Thor. I can help her. You see," Gaea murmured, stepping closer, backing Darcy against the wall. "Odin took something from me. And I'd like it back."

* * *

 _Jane is......not ugly,_ Gaea decided.

Of course, she'd been much more motivated to take care of herself after Thor had gotten in contact with her, so, yes, now, she looked quite charming in her very own way. But before....well! 

Her brown hair was pulled into a loose bun on the top of her head and her lips were pink and full after she'd chewed on them for hours. She'd also gained some weight after catching up on her meals, so now she filled out an old pair of skinny jeans quite nicely. Black knee high boots, skinny jeans, plaid flannel and all, Jane slowly stepped forward to greet the...Asgardian. 

Gaea was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Sure, she'd met Thor and, okay, Jesus, he was something else. But Gaea...she had a more alien feel to her. More than Thor and Sif and the Warriors Three ever gave her. Elegant and also slightly terrifying, Jane eyed the woman thoughtfully. She dressed like she was an Asgardian, that's for sure; her heels looked like they were made of gold, which matched her hair, and her dress was a striking shade of blue that matched her eyes....

"Are you related to Thor in anyway?" Jane blurts before she can stop herself. Gaea jerks back, surprised. "I mean, sorry, I didn't mean to....well, you just have the eyes, and I've never seen another Asgardian with those eyes. However, since I've only met five Asgardians and an unknown species of an adopted brother, I don't have much to compare you to."

"I am related to Thor," Gaea murmurs, and her gaze softens, as if she's decided that Jane isn't a lost cause after all. "He is my son."

Darcy gasped a bit too theatrically. "Sorry."

"How did you get to Earth? Or Midgard," Jane asked. "I thought the Bifrost was broken."

"Oh, it is," Gaea nods. She frowned, reaching a hand out to touch Jane's cheek gently. "Thor's father, Odin, has banished me from Asgard back to my home planet, and that is how I was able to get to you. Thor is being held....captive, I believe is the right word."

"Thor's a hostage in his own home?" Jane scoffed. She moved back to the calculations she had been doing, shuffling them and taking a quick mental inventory of her materials. "I thought Thor....wait, Odin _banished_ you? But you're his mom!"

"I thought Frigga was his mother," Darcy muttered. 

Gaea roared, "That woman is _not_ the mother of my _child_!"

The scientist and the intern recoiled, fear bubbling in their blood. The woman's blue eyes shimmered black and her golden hair whipped about her in a fury as she ranted and raved in another language, magic reaching out to shake the very foundation of the room. It was terrifying, yet really beautiful. The magic that surrounded her looked, from a distance, blue. Not like her eyes, but blue like the sky was before it was polluted with greenhouse gases.

"I," Gaea cleared her throat. "Forgive me, please. I....I do not like it when someone refers to that.... _woman_ as a mother."

"Wait," Darcy said slowly, worried that she'd be the next target if she set Gaea off again. "Frigga isn't anyone's mother?"

"Nay," Gaea murumured, sitting in the chair Jane had abandoned behind the desk. Jane leaned against the desk, eyes wide with curiosity. "Frigga and Odin had one child, Baldur. She loved the child of course, for he was her very first. But he died before he reached his first birthday. The healers didn't know the exact reason. Frigga was distraught and vowed to never have any children again. Odin, the selfish bastard, wanted an heir, someone to mold into what he wanted for Asgard. He came to Earth, my home planet--"

"You're of Earth?" Jane interrupted, flushing. 

Gaea nods.  
"Yes, that's how I was able to find you so easily."

"Continue, please. Sorry."

"Odin came to my home planet," Gaea continued. "At the time, I did not know that he was already married. He came to me, and he wooed with with promises of love and many children. I became pregnant. I loved the babe," she whispers. "Even before it was born, I knew he would be special. Odin tricked me. I thought he loved me, but as soon as I gave birth, he attacked me and stole the child." Darcy and Jane look pained, Gaea pleased with their reactions. "I traveled to Asgard and laid waste to it, searching for Thor, my son. I got to hold him, just for a while, but it was enough. I loved him with all my heart. He....," Gaea feels tears well in her eyes, "Thor looks up at me with those big blue eyes, and he clutches my finger to his chest. I did not want to let him go. Not then, not when I'd held him in my arms. Not when he giggled at me.

"Odin used dark magic to banish me from Asgard and locked me out, preventing me from every setting foot on the realm again. I have been trying to keep an eye on Thor, and I was not happy with what I saw. Frigga hated Thor from the moment she saw him, and hated me by association. She hated how Odin betrayed her and ignored her, refusing to teach him magic, no letting him address her as mother. Oh, but when Odin brought home Loki," Gaea sneered. "She loved the little runt! Taught Loki magic and embraced his disgusting, vile, soulless children he created with random beasts. She always favored Loki, even when he came to this planet and tried to enslave you all! She loved him, but looks at Thor as a burden. It's amazing he's grown up with respect for woman, with the way she treated him."

"You came for help," Jane realizes. "You can't step foot on Asgard through the ways you normally use, correct? Because Odin closed all the secret passage ways for you?"

Gaea nods.

Jane jumps up excitedly. "Well, that's a problem solved. If you can get me the materials I need to build the machine, Darcy and I can go into Asgard, fix the Bifrost, and I'll be able to take a separate machine to open up the between worlds passageways."

Grinning, the Goddesss of the Earth slowly rises and inclines her head.

"Lady Jane," she says. "I would be honored to help you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! Been busy! Hope you like this chapter, even if it's somewhat short and kinda crappy! *gross, ashamed sobbing in the background*
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave your comments telling me what you think!


	6. Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sorry for the long wait! I own nothing, sadly, but I do call dibs on Thor. I hope you guys like this chapter!

**Six**

* * *

Odin's been tense lately, Thor notices, as his father holds court in the throne room. Dozens of Asgard's oldest, supposedly wisest men sit at long, golden tables, arguing. Odin watches them from the head of the table, Thor at his side. 

Thor doesn't want to be there. He always hated being dragged into the court meetings, something he had spent a lot of time attending because Odin wanted Thor to be ready to be king when his time came. The men argue about trivial things, sometimes, like the immigrants that Asgard lets in, the other realms, and, an argument that came up the second Thor returned from his banishment, the consequences of dealing with the Midgardians. Now, looking around, Thor wonders why he ever wanted to be king in the first place. If he was Odin, he would have probably slaughtered everyone in the room in a fit of rage. 

"And what of Loki?" Sif's father speaks up, and Thor glares at him. "My King, you cannot keep stalling! He needs to be executed!"

The men nod in agreement and stare at Odin, waiting. 

Heart pounding, Thor struggles to keep his mouth closed. He's learned from past mistakes and knows that screaming out would only make Loki's current living situation worse. Loath to admit it, Thor doesn't know Odin was well as he thought he did, and he's unsure of Odin's feelings towards his adoptive brother. He's aware of the falling out they had, or at least he hoped so. No one told him anything anymore, much to his annoyance. Thor didn't understand how he was supposed to be a good king if he was always kept out of the loop. That sounded like the perfect recipe for a fall of a realm.

"Why has he not been executed yet?" A man presses. 

"Frigga," Odin replies, "has threatened to burn Asgard to the ground if her son was killed, especially if he was given the death of a criminal. She thinks it's disrespectful."

"You know what's disrespectful? Loki still being able to roam free after he went to Midgard and soiled Asgard's name."

Thor finds that interesting, because he doesn't remember Director Fury saying anything about Loki associating himself with Asgard, and even if he did, many people in Asgard have already made in painfully clear that, if Frigga wasn't in the way, they would have tossed Loki into the deepest, darkest pit in space they could find and forget about him. Thor frowns. He hated that his people felt this way about his brother. Loki was not always a killer, wasn't always evil. He was mischievous, yes, but never homicidal. That was usually Thor's role. 

"Thor?" Odin turns to him. "What do you think? Should we move up Loki's execution date?"

There's many things Thor wants to say to this, and he admits that every single word would be disrespectful and mocking. He wants to tell his father to jump off the edge of the Bifrost but decides that that's too brutal. 

"You already know what I think, father," Thor says. "Besides, I won't be around for the execution most likely. Anyways, you and I both know that you'll do what you please, as you've done many times before. Don't let mother and I get in your way, although you never have."

Odin's eye fills with silent rage as he stares at his son. The men at the tables watch silently with wide eyes, waiting. Thor had never spoken against his father before. They wanted nothing more than for the prince of Asgard to finally learn his place. Thor had always gotten away with many things, like protecting that insane brother of his and falling in love with a mortal woman. Being allowed too much freedom as a child made Thor believe he could do whatever he wanted as an adult.

"And where will you be, Thor? Certainly not on Midgard." 

"When I came back from my banishment, you told me that I was an adult, and that I had to make my own decisions. Now that I've made a decision you don't like, I'm a child. It's not my sole purpose in life to please you, father."

"You will not go to Midgard!" Odin roars, slamming his fist down onto the table so hard it dented. The men at the table quickly gather their things, ready to make a quick getaway, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. "I am your father, and you-"

"I refuse to listen to a man who encourages prejudice against innocent people! I refuse to be stuck on this realm, ruling these people who are so close minded!"

"You are nothing but a boy!" Odin rages, rising to his feet, staff in his hand. "You know nothing! You have much to learn."

"And I will learn it elsewhere," Thor declares, pushing away from the table. "I am going to Midgard. If anyone tries to stop me, Asgard will find itself a few citizens short."

Thor sweeps out of the room, Mjolnir sparking in his hands, cape billowing behind him.

* * *

Looking back, Thor regrets the way he acted. 

He meant everything he said, it was all the truth. He didn't want to hurt any of his fellow Asgardians, but if they tried to stop him from going back to Midgard, he would have no other choice. But he didn't want to start something he didn't have time to finish. He had yet to free Loki and to find the man who tried to poison him. And he still needed to return to Jane. He wouldn't be able to communicate with her much, not if he wanted her project to stay a secret. He believed that Jane could build a bridge from her realm. She was brilliant that way. He misses her. He didn't know it was possible to fall so deeply in love with someone he had only spent a few days with, but he had, and every second away from her was agony. He knew she was mortal, and that their time together would be terrifyingly short, but he could not live with himself if he didn't spend whatever years she had left by her side. 

Thor thinks.

He knows that if he doesn't act soon, Loki will be killed. But he cannot free Loki so soon after his public argument with his father; all fingers would point at him. He paces the floor in front of the secret passage way. Loki could use his magic after he left the restrictive cage he was put in, but Odin would be able to tell if Loki was gone and if he used magic outside his prison. If only there was someone who could take Loki's place...

Then it hit him.

Quickly, Thor rushed down the stairs, closing the door behind him. He walks briskly to Loki's cell and finds his brother sleeping. He looks around. The other prisoners ignore him, most sleep, others too far gone to be aware of their surroundings.

"Loki," Thor hisses.

No movement. Thor swears. He doesn't want to yell or bang on the cage. He cannot risk his plan failing. And, secretly, he doesn't want to disappoint Loki. Thor walks to the other side of the cage, the one next to Loki's bed, and he puts his hand against the shimmering gold wall. He pushes. The wall stretches to accommodate his late hand. Thor grabs Loki's ankle and yanks.

Loki jerks awake with a startled cry and is quickly shushed by his brother.

"Thor!" Loki snarls. "What the hell-"

"If I get you out of this cage," Thor cuts him off, would you be strong enough to use magic?"

"What are you talking about? When is my execution?"

"I think it's getting moved up. And I won't be able to come back down here, not after the scene I made during Court." Thor runs a hand over his tired face. "I'll get you of the the cage, and then you have to use another prisoner and make them look and sound like you. Then you'll be safe."

Loki stares at him for a long while before a smile spreads across his face. "Think of that all by yourself, did you? I'm impressed. Usually your brain short circuits if you ever try to do anything besides bash heads in with that ridiculous hammer of yours."

Thor glares.  
"Do you want to get out of here or not?"

"You already know the answer to that question," Loki says dismissively. "Now, what's this I hear about you causing a scene in Court?"

Thor groans.

* * *

"I didn't know the mortals had evolved this much," Gaea comments as she watches Jane work out equations. "When I last saw humans, they were filthy creatures, bathing in lakes and going decades without brushing their teeth."

Slightly offended, Jane murmurs, "Yes, well, us humans finally saw the error of our ways and decided to become civilized."

Gaea hums.  
They're in a larger lab than the one Jane had in our house. Jane had said that she didn't have all the resources to build the machine, and she didn't have the money. But she knew someone who did. Jane and Darcy then dragged Gaea to New York, where she was introduced to a handsome man named Tony Stark, who lived in a tall, slender castle and was very, very wealthy. Tony had been more than happy to help them, and he was extremely interested in Gaea, once he found out who she was. 

Gaea liked the man even more when he admitted that he didn't think Frigga was so great of a mother.

"I mean, from what Thor told me, he was sent to Earth as a human. Odin dropped him out of the sky. A fall at that height, with the combined speed, could have _killed_ Thor. His blood would've been splattered all over the ground. But Frigga didn't come see him. But from what Thor's told me, Frigga bends over backwards to care for Loki," Tony had said. 

She loved the sound of that. Thor was subconsciously questioning Frigga's treatment towards him versus the way she treated Loki. Really, Frigga was making it all too easy to steal Thor away.

And Gaea saw that the mortals did come in handy. Thor had become romantically involved with Jane, and became friends with Darcy, Tony, and other Midgardians, meaning that, once she got Thor to Earth, he wouldn't be in a hurry to leave. And when she thought about her son's relationship with Jane, she realized that she'd rather have Thor be in love with a mortal than with an Asgardian woman. No doubt Odin had tried to arrange a marriage for Thor already. She knew that Odin would do whatever it took to keep Thor from Earth, even if he had to physically restrain him. But it wouldn't hold Thor. The more Odin tried to keep Thor away from Earth, the more he'd want to escape. 

She wondered if Odin knew that she was plotting against him. He did have Heimdall, the all seeing gatekeeper, but if Oceanus was correct in his assessments of the dark skinned man, than Heimdall was more loyal to Thor than to Odin. After all, he did betray not one, but two kings for Thor. When she invaded Asgard to take Odin's life, she'd leave the Gatekeeper. No doubt Thor saw this man as a friend. 

Everything was slowly falling into place. She already had three of Thor's friends on her side, and if she could just befriend the rest, then she wouldn't have to worry about them standing in her way. 

Rising gracefully from her seat, Gaea excused herself and went in search of her next target: Black Widow.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thank you guys for sticking with me and for leaving reviews! It means a lot of me, truly! Thanks so much for reading!


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

**Seven**

* * *

  **Author's Note (kind long one):**

In the Marvel Comics, Gaea has many children, both sons and daughters. Since she has so many children, I will be using only a few of them. Below is a complete list of her children. So you know which of her children will be involved in this fanfiction, I will bold them for you. I hope this helped! You should also take note that I am portraying her children based off the comics AND off my own personal preference. So, if a character seems _out_ of character (I hoped that made sense, because it sounds a little weird), it is because I’m not standing by the comics 100% of the time.

            **Sons**                                                     **Daughters**

  1.        Coeus                                                         **Dione**                                                
  2.        **Chronus**                                                      Mahu
  3.        Crius                                                          **Mnemosyne**
  4.        **Hyperion**                                                     **Rhea**
  5.        Japetus                                                       Theia
  6.        Leir                                                             Tethys
  7.        **Lusa**                                                            Themis
  8. **Oceanus**
  9.        Ophion
  10.        Ouranous
  11. **Thor**
  12.        Thoth



_Also note that these characters may or may not make an appearance in this chapter, so be prepared! Thanks!_

* * *

"You're only making it worse," Frigga tells him, her tone disapproving.

Secretly, Thor doesn't love her.

Once, he thought he did, thought that Frigga was his mother, someone he could trust. But after seeing how she was with Loki, versus how she treated him, he wasn't so sure anymore. There are parts of his life where he can clearly remember Frigga looking at him in disgust as she cuddled Loki. He remembers the argument his father and Frigga had over him when he was a small child, Frigga snarling that she didn't want the son of a whore in her castle. 

Thor never understood what she meant by that, but he had his suspicions that he wasn't her son. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise him. Odin was always keeping secrets, and there were many things that no one knew about him. Odin wouldn't be the first king to have secret, illegitimate children. But what Thor couldn't figure out his why Frigga disliked him so much. When he was younger, more oblivious, he never questioned it because he was Odin's favorite, and as long as his father loved him, then why should anything else matter? But now, he couldn't help but analyze every single action, every single word. It was too much. He had too much to deal with. With his words during Court yesterday, he was being watched more than usual, and Loki had more guards stationed outside of his cell. He hadn't been able to get in contact with Jane. Odin had taken to requesting his presence for family dinners now, which Thor suffered through quietly, although he very much wanted to remind Odin that it wasn't really a family dinner if Loki wasn't there with them.

"Are you just going to ignore me?" Frigga demanded.

"You've done the same to me many times, I don't see why you can't handle it," Thor snapped. Frigga recoiled and narrowed her eyes at him.

"Midgard changed you."

"I think it's great that, instead of blaming Odin for banishing me there, you blame me for my change."

"Do not put the blame onto your father!" Frigga chided. "He only did what was best for you."

"He tried to kill me," Thor breathed, hoping Frigga wouldn't hear. No such luck.

"He did no such thing!"  Frigga exclaimed. "Honestly, Thor, when are you going to start taking responsibility for your actions? Odin will not be around forever, and when he is gone, he will need you to take his place on the throne. He needs you to rule Asgard with grace, with fairness, not with your love of the mortals."

"Since when did you care who I loved?" Thor asked curiously. "If my memory is correct, and it is, you never showed an ounce of genuine affection towards me. Why start now, unless you are trying to gain something?"

Frigga glared at him, hands on her hips.  
"I treated you as any mother would treat a child. Do not try to twist everything around-"

"No, you don't have to worry about that," Thor assured her. "After all, is that not Loki's job? Didn't he learn it from you?"

She gasped, taking a step back. Thor fought a smirk. He had never been good with words, but sometimes, when he really tried, he could tear me people down. That's what happened when you grow up around the god of lies and his mother.

"How...," Frigga swallowed loudly. "How dare you? Have you lost all your manners during your stay on Midgard?"

Thor ignored her. Honestly, he was annoyed with everyone's insistence to blame everything on Midgard. His stay on the realm had ended up quite well for him. After all, he did meet the love of his life and made many friends. He did understand his people's lack of eagerness to get close to the mortals; they had such short lifespans, after all, and Thor knew he was only setting himself up for heartbreak. But he couldn't bring himself to cut all ties with the realm. No, he would stay, and he would watch his friends get old and grey, and then he would watch them die. It was a vicious cycle, something that would happen to his friend's children, and their children's children, and so forth. But he would suffer through it again and again. He loved the realm. Ever since he was banished there, he learned so many new things. He was free to be himself, free to...not be a prince of Asgard. He didn't have to uphold an image, he did not need to lead warriors into war. On Earth, with Jane, with his friends, he was just Thor, something he had never been while on Asgard.

He didn't know why he felt such love for this realm. After all, his banishment was his first time there. But he felt drawn to the Earth, drawn to it's people. He simply loved existing on such a realm, loved the taste of coffee, of poptarts, loved seeing the sunlight hit Jane's hair in the morning, loved laying on his back watching the stars. He was... _whole_. Why couldn't anyone see that? Why wouldn't Odin let him be whole once more?

However, Thor knew he would get to Midgard again, even if he had to fight his way to get there, he would step foot on that realm again.

"You used to be different," Frigga's voice starts to filter into his head, and she's talking loudly as she says, "You weren't so....weak."

Thor stops.

He turns to look at the woman Odin deemed his mother and wondered if he could kill her and get away with it. Of course, he'd have to consult with the criminals in the dungeons so they could give him good places to hide the body. He thinks Heimdall would let him get away with it. After all, the man never once interfered with Thor's plans before, not even when he invaded Jotunheim and slaughtered dozens of innocent (well, innocent might be stretching it a bit, but they technically were innocent, since the Frost Giants who had invaded Asgard for the Casket of Winters were killed by the destroyer and Laufey was going to allow them to leave before he messed it up) Frost Giants.

"Frigga," he says calmly. "Odin will be attending two funerals if you do not leave this room."

Her eyes widen comically and she bustles out of the room, muttering under her breath and shooting Thor dark looks over her shoulder. When she's gone, Thor sinks into a nearby chair and groans. 

He hoped this would all be over soon.

* * *

Oceanus stared at his three brothers and three sisters. There names were Chronus, Hyperion, Lusa (the brothers), and Dione, Mnemosyne, and Rhea (the sisters). Ever since he returned home, his siblings had been pestering him about their younger brother, Thor, who they had just recently heard about. They sat on a lounge that had a large pool and couches surrounding it.

"Are you sure he's related to us?" Dione asked for the fifth time. "I hope he isn't. I've seen him, and I'll be heartbroken if I can sleep with him."

"I suppose you'll have to let your heart heal then, because Thor is our younger brother. The youngest of us. Mother wants everything to be perfect when she finally brings him here, understood? She'll be furious if anyone messes anything up."

"What's he like?" Lusa murmured. Oceanus studied him. Lusa was usually the quiet one, and never said much at the family gatherings unless he was dragged into conversation. "Thor?"

"He's a storm," Oceanus admits. "He's known in the Nine Realms for his prowess in the battlefield," Oceanus arches an eyebrow in Dione's direction, "and in the bedroom." Dione squeals and throws herself back onto the couch. "He's also prone to thinking with his heart instead of his head. He has a tendency to forgive homicidal maniacs."

"Who?" Dione asked.

"Loki," Oceanus tells her. "Thor sees the Frost Giant runt as a brother, but I don't think he's aware of Loki's true heritage. Odin and Frigga kept it a secret. They're horrible parents, really. It's a miracle Thor turned out so well."

"How are they horrible parents?" Hyperion wondered from his place in the pool. He rung the water out of his dark brown hair.

"I don't even have the words to describe them," Oceanus sighed heavily. "Frigga never loved Thor, so that makes Mother's job a lot easier. Odin doesn't really love Thor, I don't think. He only wanted an heir, not a son to love and to raise. Whenever Thor tries to avoid the throne and stressful life of being a ruler, Odin goes into a fit of rage, declaring that Thor doesn't have a choice because it's his responsibility as Prince of Asgard. Disgusting," Oceanus snorted. "You should see the way he's punished! He was banished to Earth without his powers, and made human! But when Loki terrorizes the people of Earth and tries to commit genocide against his own race, you know what he gets? A nice, comfy cell with a full bed and a bookcase and a comfortable couch. And yet Loki declares that _Thor_ has it easy."

"He'll be putty in Mother's hands," Chronus murmurs. "Of course, we'll have to get rid of Frigga and Loki."

"Don't worry about that," Oceanus smiles. "Mother has a plan."

* * *

_It was dark, the only light coming from the full moon in the sky. Thor stands in the middle of the field, barefoot, smiling at the feel of the smooth blades of grass on his feet. He looks up at the sky and feels power surge within him, feels the rage pound against his skin, begging to be let out. He inhales deeply. It smells of a thunder storm, smells of burnt trees. Thor smiles. He hears murmurs behind him and turns to see people kneeling before him, staring up at him in awe._

_This is where he belongs._

_Thor raises his arms from his side and lets the rage over come him. Lightning fills the sky, tearing apart the very fabrics of the realm around him. Thunder follows, booming so loud his ears ring but he **loves** it, loves feeling so powerful, so.... **godly.** The people kneeling start to scream, the plead for mercy but he ignores them. Their cries are drowned out by the storm, swirling around him until the field is no more, until there's nothing but him and the horrified peasants. They scramble and try to escape, but lightning creates a sweltering, dangerous circle around them, preventing them from taking another step.  
_

_" **Kneel** ," Thor roars. " **Kneels before me**!" _

_Lightning strikes the screaming men, women, and children. They cry out in agony as they're slaughtered. Bones split and turn to ash. Blood splashes across his skin, the smell of charred flesh filling his nose._

_Thor laughs._

* * *

When Sif enters Thor's room, she's not expecting the floor around his bed to be on fire, or for a hole in the ceiling to be created by an enormous bolt of lightning. Thor's bed is floating three feet from the floor. Her jaw drops. 

"Thor!" She calls out, trying to wake him. 

Thor jerks awake, and the bed crashes the floor, the fire vanishing instantly. Other items in the room that she didn't realize were also hovering tumbled to the ground, breaking and cracking as they went. Thor stared at her, and she at him. 

"Thor," Sif whispers. "What...what have you done?"

"I," Thor swallowed heavily. "I don't know. Sif," Thor frees his legs from the bed sheets and strides over to her. Sif backs away. Thor winces. "Don't tell anyone, okay? Don't let anyone know about this. This stays between you and me." When she didn't respond, Thor gripped her shoulders tightly. "Do you understand?" 

Sif nods quickly, frees herself from his grasp, and runs from the room. She doesn't notice the servant watching her from the shadows.

* * *

Gaea paced on the main floor of the Avengers tower, occasionally stopping to look out over the city. Manhattan was a vast place, she admitted, with people always out and about, shopping and eating and going to work. During her stay on the realm, she learned many things about the humans, and she could understand why Thor was so taken by them. She was raised around magic, and wondered how others survived without being able to use it. But seeing the mortals live without magic proved it was possible. They used cars and trains and airplanes to get from place to place. They used their science to enhance their food and produce more of it to provide for the ever growing population. 

That part did disgust her though. How could a species care so little for their realm and what it could handle? Earth would not be able to provide for nearly ten billion people. She could already see the gaping holes in its atmosphere caused by the mortal's use of fossil fuels. She didn't understand why they would not use the solar energy they talked so much about. She's kept up with the news as well, and has heard of the rising panic that the clean drinking water sources were vanishing quickly. People in a country called India were hungry, women were being slaughtered for not birthing sons. The world was chaotic. It reminded her of why she hardly resided here. 

The humans were disgusting, but she couldn't kill them. Not yet. Of course they would later interfere with her plans for Thor, but once she got him on her side and unlocked his powers, he would kill the humans for her. She was willing to compromise and allow Thor to spare a few of his pet mortals. Gaea was drawn out of her thoughts by her warming necklace. She eagerly took the necklace off and placed it on the bar. A square screen appeared, Oceanus' face on it. Gaea smiled and clasped her hands together.

"Any news?" she asked.

Oceanus nodded. "I risked going back into Asgard for a small time," Gaea's face fills with rage but it vanishes with Oceanus' next statement, "and Thor is starting to come into his powers."

Gaea purred in delight.  
"No doubt a result of his dying loyalty towards Odin. With his allegiance no longer with that bastard, the binding on Thor's powers will start to disappear. It seems I'll have to speed up the process. Thor will need someone to help him control his powers, and it will be me. Has Frigga done anything noticeable as of late?"

"She's angered Thor," Oceanus reports. "He feels no love for her, and instead sees her as Loki's mother. Better for you, I suppose?"

"Of course," she breathed. "Everything is going according to the plan. I'll just have to urge Jane to work faster. She's rather intelligent for a lesser being."

"And when Thor is on our side?" Oceanus questions. "What will become of the mortals then? What of Midgard?"

"Midgard has been under Asgard protection, or so Odin claims, after he banished me from Asgard and from seeing my son. However, this planet is rightfully mine, and also belongs to my youngest child. Thor will be the one to slaughter the Midgardians, but I've decided to let him keep a few as pets. If it takes longer than expected to get Thor from Odin, I will have to cause problems on Midgard that will leave Odin no other choice but to send Thor to fix it. Apparently my baby is the go to person for Midgardian and Asgardian relations."

"You're devious, mother," Oceanus chuckles. "Dione stills refuses to believe that Thor is our brother. She wants to bed with him."

"And what do your other siblings think?"

"They wish to see what all the fuss is about. I told them that Thor is one of us, that he carries much power within him. He shall prove it soon enough."

Gaea smiled at her oldest son proudly and Oceanus blushed, pleased. "You've done well, my son. Rest. And no more going to Asgard unless I call for it, or unless there's an opening to take Thor."

Oceanus nodded and disappeared. 

Gaea placed the necklace back around her neck, the gold now cool against her skin. She continued her pacing, unaware of Tony quickly scrambling away from the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> BTW, DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, ask for spoilers, or else I will get very snippy with you. The only way one will be able to tell if Gaea is good or bad for Thor can only be determined by reading the story every time I update.


	8. Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing. 
> 
> Author's Note: I hope you guys liked the last chapter! In order to make up for my lack of updates, I've decided to have two chapters in the same day! I'm really sorry for the long wait! Thanks for sticking with me! Reviews are always welcome.

**Eight**

* * *

After cleaning his room, Thor stood out on his balcony, gripping the banister tightly. He didn't know how long Sif would keep quiet about his...situation. He was desperate to leave Asgard, and if Odin or any of the Council got wind of what he did in his sleep, he would never step foot on another realm again. He tried to calm down by reminding himself that Sif was one of his most loyal friends, but then he remembered how Sif, and even himself, had treated Loki whenever he did magic. Of course, Thor didn't always look down on magic, he was actually quiet fascinated with Loki and his magical prowess, even a little jealous. Odin had taken him off that path, stating that magic was for girls and that Loki was dishonoring the family for continuing to fight with such a feminine skill. Now that he thought about it, most of the rifts between he and Loki were because of Odin filling his head with lies and prejudice. 

When he was younger, Odin would tell him bedtimes stories filled with horrifying, blood thirsty Frost Giants. Thor was raised to think that it was his duty to rid the universe of Frost Giants, and when he had tried to do so after his ruined coronation, back when he was still an ass, Odin was actually upset that Thor had chosen the violent path, as if it wasn't him who made him that way in the first place!

Shaking his head, Thor turned and walked back into his room, closing the balcony doors as he did. He trudged to the bathroom and stepped into the shower, turning on the water so it was blistering hot. His skin burned and itched but still he stayed under the spray of sweltering, steamy water. After a few moments, he finally began to wash himself. 

Thor looked in the mirror. Who was he? _What_ was he? He knew Frigga wasn't his real mother, it wasn't possible, but he was still unaware of his true heritage. Odin had, no doubt, decided that, for the greater good, Thor never be enlightened about who his real mother was. Maybe she was Odin's first love, or maybe she turned evil. Thor inspected his face more closely. His hair was past his shoulders, wavy and golden, sticking to his skin. His eyes were a bright shade of blue, nearly white, almost the same color as lightening. That was new. His cheekbones seemed slightly more defined, his jaw sharper. Even his lips were fuller. What was happening to him? Should he be concerned? Or should he keep the changes to himself? He couldn't ask anyone without revealing what had transpired earlier. Odin and Frigga were the last people he would open up to. Sif was terrified. Volstagg was busy with his many children, Hogun hardly talked, and Fandral was most likely busy trying to sleep his way through Asgard's women. That only left Loki.

He didn't want to bother Loki again, but where else could he go? No one else was....

Thor suddenly remembered the servant who had given him poisoned food. Did he have the answers? It was a long shot, but obviously the servant knew something, since he sought to drag Thor from Asgard heavily drugged. Even with that reasoning, Oceanus hadn't been seen in a while. He had probably left Asgard once he was exposed.

Sliding into a pair of loose pants and a shirt, Thor walked towards the dungeons.

* * *

"Why did you call us in here, Tony?" Bruce asks, cleaning his glasses on his button up shirt as he sunk into a chair near his friend and science buddy, Tony Stark. "Not that I don't love spending time with you."

"Love you too, Jolly Green," Tony hissed. "And it's very important."

"How important?" Clint grumbled, sliding in behind Steve and Natasha. 

"Close the door and lock it. How long do you think Jane and Gaea will be out?"

"A while," Steve said, eyeing him suspiciously. "Do you want to prank her? Are you that suicidal to prank someone who isn't from this planet?"

"Alright, listen up," Tony says. "I heard Gaea talking to one of her sons, his name is Oceanus. She communicated with him through her necklace. It was kind of like the technology we have now, where he can have things displayed in mid air."

"I didn't know Asgard was as advanced as us," Natasha mused, playing with one of her many knives, no doubt a silent threat to Tony to get to the good part before she felt inclined to solver her apparent boredom.

"She's not from Asgard," Tony says urgently, eyes flicking up to the ceiling. He had JARVIS be the lookout for Gaea and he wondered if JARVIS could be affected by magic. "Look, she and her son were talking about sneaking into Asgard, taking risks, and taking Thor."

Steve sat up straighter. "She's trying to kidnap Thor?"

"That's what it certainly sounded like. JARVIS, play the video."

_"Certainly, sir."_

Seconds later, the room filled with noise as a screen appeared on the wall behind Tony.

_Gaea paced on the main floor of the Avengers tower, occasionally stopping to look out over the city._

_Gaea was drawn out of her thoughts by her warming necklace. She eagerly took the necklace off and placed it on the bar. A square screen appeared, Oceanus' face on it. Gaea smiled and clasped her hands together._

_"Any news?" she asked._

_Oceanus nodded. "I risked going back into Asgard for a small time," Gaea's face fills with rage but it vanishes with Oceanus' next statement, "and Thor is starting to come into his powers."_

_Gaea purred in delight._  
_"No doubt a result of his dying loyalty towards Odin. With his allegiance no longer with that bastard, the binding on Thor's powers will start to disappear. It seems I'll have to speed up the process. Thor will need someone to help him control his powers, and it will be me. Has Frigga done anything noticeable as of late?"_

_"She's angered Thor," Oceanus reports. "He feels no love for her, and instead sees her as Loki's mother. Better for you, I suppose?"_

_"Of course," she breathed. "Everything is going according to the plan. I'll just have to urge Jane to work faster. She's rather intelligent for a lesser being."_

_"And when Thor is on our side?" Oceanus questions. "What will become of the mortals then? What of Midgard?"_

_"Midgard has been under Asgard protection, or so Odin claims, after he banished me from Asgard and from seeing my son. However, this planet is rightfully mine, and also belongs to my youngest child. Thor will be the one to slaughter the Midgardians, but I've decided to let him keep a few as pets. If it takes longer than expected to get Thor from Odin, I will have to cause problems on Midgard that will leave Odin no other choice but to send Thor to fix it. Apparently my baby is the go to person for Midgardian and Asgardian relations."_

_"You're devious, mother," Oceanus chuckles. "Dione stills refuses to believe that Thor is our brother. She wants to bed with him."_

_"And what do your other siblings think?"_

_"They wish to see what all the fuss is about. I told them that Thor is one of us, that he carries much power within him. He shall prove it soon enough."_

_Gaea smiled at her oldest son proudly and Oceanus blushed, pleased. "You've done well, my son. Rest. And no more going to Asgard unless I call for it, or unless there's an opening to take Thor."_

_Oceanus nodded and disappeared._

_Gaea placed the necklace back around her neck, the gold now cool against her skin. She continued her pacing, unaware of Tony quickly scrambling away from the room._

"Fuck," Clint breaths. "What are we going to do? We can't let her raise hell on Earth, but letting her know we know about her plan is dangerous. We don't know what she's capable of."

"We can't separate her from Jane either," Bruce points out. "So far, Gaea is Jane's only way of getting back to Thor, of creating her bridge. Gaea had the exact distance from Earth to Asgard. She had the other information Jane needed. We can't take Gaea down without Jane causing issues. She's in love with Thor, and I wonder if she'd care that she was helping a crazy woman get to the place she was apparently banished from."

"I don't think she was lying, though," Tony says. The Avengers glare at him. "I'm serious! I mean, obviously she isn't of Earth, right? And how else would Thor be her child unless she was in Asgard for a time and had a relationship with Odin? Frigga and Gaea are enemies no doubt, maybe Gaea was the side chick."

"Tony," Bruce sighed.

"I'm being serious!" Tony snaps. "Think about it. Let's put the facts together. Gaea said she is of Earth, but also another realm, or planet. Well, Thor did say that his father traveled a lot before he was born." It was a conversation they had had when Tony and Bruce were tampering with the Tesseract so it would take Thor and Loki back to Asgard. Thor loved to tell stories. "Well, Odin comes to Earth, has sex with Gaea, gets her pregnant. She gives birth, Odin takes the kid. Gaea follows, and in turn is banished from Asgard and prevented from going there again. However, Odin didn't think of Gaea's other children, who were more than happy to help her regain her son back. Oceanus obviously has been in Asgard recently, posing as someone. Maybe he got close to Thor. Who knows?"

"So you're saying that Gaea's story is true, it's just that her intentions once she gets Thor are a little shady?" Steve asks. Tony nods. Steve sighs. "Alright, we can play dumb. But keep an eye on her, never be without a weapon. If Thor really is in danger, we won't have to worry too much, right? Gaea did say she had plans to bring Thor here."

"I don't care what her end game is," Natasha sneered. "She called me a pet." 

* * *

Loki stares at his childhood enemy

Sif stands outside his cell, arms folded over her chest. Her face tries to remain impassive, but it fails tremendously. She's in her armor, something he rarely sees her without. Perhaps she was preparing for a war, or another sparring session with Thor. Loki remembers getting jealous of all the time Thor spent with Sif instead of him, so in order to get his brother's attention, he had cut off Sif's beautiful golden hair and had replaced it with mud brown when he was forced to fix his mistakes. He didn't think Sif had ever forgiven him. 

"What can I do for Asgard's finest female warrior?" 

Sif sniffs.  
"I have a question I need an answer to. I'm afraid you're the only person in Asgard who knows it best."

"Knows what best?"

Sif looks around and lowers her voice once she assures that no one is watching. "Magic."

Loki straightens in surprise. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. Sif had only visited him once, and that was to tell him how much he disappointed her and how hurt Thor was by his brother's betrayal. He had sent her away after giving her a few well deserved put downs, and this was his first time seeing her since then. Magic. Why would she want to know about magic? Sif had often ridiculed him for being a quick learner at the art, and had soon been joined by Thor, who seemed reluctant to join in with the teasing until Odin was near. Another thing to hate the old man for. 

"Why do you want to know about magic?" he asked.

"Thor did it," Sif says bluntly. Loki blanches. "Well, in his sleep. The roof of his room was destroyed, things were on fire, and his bed, along with other items, were hovering off the floor. He begged me not to tell anyone."

"And yet you told me," Loki whispers as he digests the information. Thor, capable of magic? He was untrained, but that could be blamed on Odin for destroying Thor's curiosity towards magic. Loki remembers Odin spanking Thor and telling him that magic was for girls and that he musn't follow in Loki's foolish foot steps, lest he wished to be disowned. Thor, merely a child, had listened to Odin. Loki couldn't fault him for that, even though he wanted to. "Have you told anyone else?"

Sif shook her head. "No, I figured that it would be safer in here with you, someone who knows what happens when you do magic."

Loki hums thoughtfully  
"I'll see what I can find out. You'll have to give me updates whenever you can, so I know what Thor's doing and how he's progressing."

"Is it...natural?"

He smirks.  
"It has to be. Not everyone can make a fire out of thin air. If it were easy, everyone would do it."

* * *

Gaea marveled at the clothes Jane had her wear during their trip into the city. She had insisted that Jane take a break from her hard work and show her around. Jane had made her wear something called skinny jeans, which had holes on the thighs, and a crop top. Jane said it was the only clothes she had that could fit Gaea. The men on the streets turned to stare at her. They weren't very good at hiding their apparent interest in her back side. She might have to collect a few pairs of these skinny jeans if she looked so good in them. She followed Jane into a place called McDonald's, where she was quickly introduced to the reason many of Midgard's inhabitants were obese. The fries were addictive, she decided, even though she'd only had one bite. The fries were salty and felt good against her tongue. When she finished her first container, Jane bought her more.

The people in the restaurant stared at her strangely as she inhaled her weight in fast food. Jane stared at Gaea enviously, wishing she could eat fries and burgers without gaining ten pounds a bite. Gaea had just polished off her tenth large order of fries. She asked to try the sandwiches next. Jane complied and bought her alien companion a Bacon Clubhouse cheeseburger, watching for her reaction.

Gaea enjoyed the taste of a Bacon Clubhouse cheeseburger. The bacon was delicious and thick, and even more flavor was added with the special sauce. Gaea hummed around a mouthful of burger. Jane watched her contently.

"You know," Jane said, picking at her fries. "Thor had the same reactions. He was awed by everything."

"Even coffee?" Gaea had been introduced to coffee a few days prior, and she found that the beverage was quite tasty, especially when sugar and cream were added. 

Jane laughs.  
"He liked it so much he threw the mug onto the ground and demanded another."

Gaea grinned. "I'm afraid spending time with the Asgardians has had an effect on him." Gaea looked away.

"Hey," Jane hesitantly reached out and took Gaea's free hand in hers. "I know Thor will love you. You can teach him so much. He'll be excited to spend time with family. He's been depressed since Loki's betrayal, maybe you can fix that."

Gaea's squeezed Jane's hand in reply and found herself liking the mortal woman who Thor was in love with. This Jane meant every word she said, and trusted Gaea completely. Jane was so sure that Gaea was a great mother, a great person who had been wronged by Odin (she certainly wouldn't be the first), and someone who deserved to get somethnig she wanted. Jane wasn't even aware that Gaea had a darker, more sinister plan waiting to be enacted. Gaea almost felt bad for lying to her. Almost.

"Let's hope so," Gaea murmured. 

She would let this mortal live, she decided.

* * *

It had taken almost two hours for Thor to find a spot that was isolated enough. He had hiked up the mountains, away from the city, to find a place where he could be alone. Getting past the guards had, surprisingly, been a challenge this time, a sign that Odin had finally improved his security force. Honestly, it was amazing the man survived without Sif and the Warriors Three to protect his sorry hide. 

Thor looked around. Tall trees surrounded him, their leaves various vibrant colors that represented the changing seasons. Their was no other sound but the wind that rustled the leaves and skinny branches. He couldn't hear any animals; perhaps that had fled when they heard his approach. Thor let his bag of food slid off his back and set it against a nearby rock in his line of sight. He sat cross legged in the middle of the field, letting his hands play with the flowers a bit before settling them in his lap. He closed his eyes.

He had never tried this before. Loki used to meditate and would speak coldly to Thor whenever he was disturbed. Thor wished he had accepted Loki's many invitations to meditate with him. His teachers had always said that meditating could free the mind and allow you to withdraw into yourself, but also become one with the universe. Thor had pushed the teachings aside as utter rubbish and had spent his time fighting with the other boys and the occasional girl who was brave enough to fight with the prince of Asgard. Now, Thor tried to recall the earlier lessons as he sat in the field.

He took several deep breaths and forced himself to stop thinking. He felt his heart slow down until it was pumping in time with his breathing. He felt like he was floating. His eyes slid closed. Thor felt his body slowly fade away. He fell into empty darkness.

_"Thor?" A woman cried out to him. Her dress flowed around her, smooth and straight. It hugged her curves and flowed freely around her legs. She wore no shoes. She looked familiar. Her blonde hair whipped around her head, her face smiling at him. "Thor."_

_"Who are you?" Thor looked around and no longer found himself in the flower patch in Asgard. He was somewhere else. "Where am I?"_

_"Earth," the woman murmured, now at his side. Thor tensed and prepared to strike but found himself frozen in place. The woman slowly extended a hand and caressed his face lovingly. "Do you recognize me, Thor?"_

_Thor's brow furrowed as he thought. He knew her, but he couldn't place where he'd seen her. It had to have been a long time ago, because no memories came to the surface. She smiled sadly at him. She slowly slid a hand down his face to his neck, then his chest, which he found was bare. She pressed her hand slightly harder against his abs before sliding a hand around his hip and grabbing his hand. She peered up at him._

_"You've grown so much," she whispered sadly. "And I missed all of it. He made me miss all of it."_

_"What are you talking about?" Thor demanded. "Tell me who you are at once!"_

_She smiled.  
"You've been changing, haven't you? Your magic, it's tearing apart the binds Odin put on you. You're untaught, but I could teach you. I could show you the way, Thor, if you'll let me." She grabbed Thor's neck and pulled him down to her, Thor's forehead resting against hers. She pressed her lips to his nose. Thor smiled before he could stop himself. "Do you remember when I used to kiss your nose? You always giggled." She stepped back. "Look around you, Thor. Memorize this place."_

_Thor didn't know why, but he felt the need to obey her. He felt.... **whole** with her. When she kissed his nose, he felt like he was experiencing something he hadn't known he had missed. When had she kissed his nose before? Thor looked around and gasped. It was the field from his dreams, exactly how it was. Many people knelt before him, a mix of the many species in The Nine Realms. Frost Giants, Asgardians, Kree, Elves, Dwarves, even the mortals. They stared up at him, pleading, tears shinning in their eyes. Thor felt power surge within him. _

_"Don't let him control you, Thor," the woman snarled, her face filled with unhinged rage. Her long, smooth fingers curled into fists. "Don't let them take you away from me. Don't let them separate us again, Thor."_

_Thor looked into the sky. Clouds swirled madly, lightning striking the ground and thunder ringing in his ears. He heard their screams. He smiled._

_"Thor," she cooed. "Don't let anyone stand in our way. You are a king, Thor. You are a god. Don't let them control you. You've been holding it in. No more. Let it free. Show these peasants what happens when you try to mess with the God of Thunder. Show them the real you. Don't let them forget."_

_Blood splashed across his face as he slaughtered hundreds, maybe even thousands. He was lost in the battle, lost in the slaughter. They ran for their lives, but Thor wouldn't let them leave, not without imprinting himself into their minds forever. He couldn't let himself be controlled. They wanted to lock him away. They wanted to take him away from the woman. He wouldn't let them. He'd kill them first._

_Charred flesh filled his nostrils. He stepped in the blood of thousands, smiled as he took in their skeletal remains._

_The field started to fade. Thor cried out and reached for the woman._

_"Don't leave me!" he begged. "Don't leave me again!"_

_"We will be together again soon enough, my son," she smiled.  
_

_The field disappeared, as did she._

* * *

Exhausted, Thor walked back to the castle with every intention of skipping dinner and going right to bed to sleep for the next five days. But even though he wanted to sleep, he didn't think he could. He had just met his mother for the first time. Well, for the first time he could remember. She had made him feel powerful, invincible. He wanted to back to her, wherever she was. She had said that he was taken from her. By who? Odin, obviously. But why? Why would Odin sleep with another woman and then claim that Frigga was his mother?

And blocks on his magic? Did this mean that his earlier failure with the art was because of Odin trying to prevent him from having any sort of ties with his birth mother? It seemed that Odin had more secrets that previously imagined.

Finally making it to his room, Thor quickly showered, scrubbing the mud off his skin, and collapsed into bed naked.

He felt like he was asleep for only seconds before someone shook him awake. He did his best to ignore him, turning over and pulling the covers tighter around his body. Someone jabbed his in the back with something sharp. He gave up. 

"Wha?" he demanded groggily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His blurry vision soon focused and he stared up at Sif, who stood with her weapon in her hand, freshly sharpened. "What's happened?"

"Midgard is under attack."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Leave comments telling me what you think! 
> 
> Also, I'm taking requests for my next Harley Keener and Tony Stark fanfic, so if anyone's interested in submitting an idea and having a story dedicated to them, leave me a comment!


	9. Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing.
> 
> Author's Note: I'm on spring break as of today, so when I'm not doing homework, I'll try to update more than I have in the past.

**Nine**

* * *

Although Thor knew that it was incredibly selfish, he was thoroughly pleased that there was an attack on Midgard and the only person who could handle the attackers was himself. He would have probably bashed his head through the wall if some other Asgardian soldier were sent instead. This was his chance. He could pack a bag, take a few golden apples, and camp out on Midgard. And what could Odin say that Thor wouldn't cheerfully counteract?

_"You're no longer needed on Midgard, Thor," Odin would say._

_"But father," Thor would reply. "They're still terrified of the other realms. Perhaps I can create unity. Isn't that what good kings do?"_

Odin had filled them in with information about the attack while the Warriors Three were gathered, weapons at the ready. Thor had smartly left a packed bag near the gates of the Bifrost. He was counting on Odin not coming along with them to depart, but, as his luck would have it, Odin decided that today was the day he wanted to make the trip. On horse back, Odin trotted behind them, no doubt so he could have Thor in his sight at all times. Thor stared at the Observatory and wished that Heimdall could read minds. 

Sif suddenly jerked and stopped walking, startling the horse, Sleipnir, who almost bucked Odin off. Odin grunted and struggled to get the horse back under his control. Seeing his chance, Thor quickly snatched up his bag that was resting in the bushes and strode towards the bridge like a man with a mission. Sif was possibly the best friend he would ever have and he owed her. Sif apologized to Odin and jogged to catch up with him. She glared.

"I hope you know that I could get in a lot of trouble for keeping secrets," she told him.

Thor grinned sheepishly.  
"I know I can never truly repay you for all you have done for me, Sif. Thank you. I know you are...in disagreement with my relations."

Sif sniffed and looked away, down at the empty vaccuum of space.  
"Do not mention it."

Thor paused, and he knew that he had to do this now, because he would not be returning to Asgard, and he could not leave things the way they were between he and Sif. He didn't want leave with bitterness and awkwardness between them.

He grabbed Sif's wrist and pulled her closer to him. He noticed Odin moved past, giving him an approving look. Thor wanted to gag; Odin thought he was finally making his move with Sif. His father never understood that he never saw his childhood friend that way. He wished Odin would be more accepting of his love for Jane, but he knows that it's just wishful thinking. Sif allows herself to be pulled to a stop and stares at Thor's armor covered chest as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

"Sif," he says. 

"I don't--"

"We need to talk about this," Thor insisted, "because there's a chance I won't be coming back to Asgard, and I refuse to leave our relationship in shambles. I do love you, Sif, just not in the way you want me to. I'm sorry. You will always be my friend, is that not enough?"

She looks away, hugs her sword to her chest like it was her lifeline. She shrugs.  
"No other man notices me."

Thor smiles softly. "Perhaps if you stopped watching me so much, you would see that a lot of men would be honored to court you."

Sif looks up at him, hope in her eyes.  
"You think so?"

Thor nods. "You are an amazing woman, Sif, do not ever doubt that. You are brave, intelligent, and, when you aren't stuffing your face, quite pretty."

Sif laughs. It will no doubt take her time to accept his decision, but he is glad that she is willing to try.  
"Come on, you oaf. We need to get to Midgard."

Thor follows after her, their hands intertwined. He holds on to her so he has this memory later, so he can relive it in its entirety. He is glad she was not lost to him. Sif has been at his side for as long as he could remember. She was there for him when Loki did not want to be seen around Thor, she was there for him when he struggled with his school work. He felt guilty that he would not be around to witness who she would possibly court, but sacrifices had to be made. 

They stood on the Bifrost, and Heimdall looks at Thor blankly. His golden eyes seem to penetrate through Thor's skin and peer into his soul. Thor smiles. Another person he would miss. Of course, Heimdall no doubt already knew of his plans, yet he stayed silent.

"Tell me when it's over," Thor heard Odin whisper to Heimdall. "I don't want Thor to be on that planet longer than necessary."

"Of course, my king," Heimdall replies calmly, his eyes never leaving Thor's. 

Heimdall is incredibly loyal, Thor thinks.

He's betrayed not one, but _two_ kings for Thor several times. Thor wonders what he did to deserve such treatment. He had always been Heimdall's friend, or so he hoped; when he was a child he would demand to have Heimdall tell him bedtimes stories, stories about the universe, about the realms, about the creatures that did not reside in his own home. He remembers Heimdall brushing the blonde hair out of his face and smiling at him when no one else was around. He remembers Heimdall holding his hand and letting him touch the sword that activated the Tesseract. Of all of Asgard's subjects, Thor trusted Heimdall the most.

Heimdall turns on the Bifrost, and all the colors of the rainbow hit him in the face, making him squint. Odin has already started down the bridge again and isn't there when Heimdall says, "Thor."

Thor turns, Sif and the Warriors Three already having stepped through the portal. "Yes?"

"You were my friend."

"What?"

"You wondered what you did to deserve me," the corner of Heimdall's mouth twitches slightly, almost like a smile. "You were my friend."

Thor grinned.  
"And you mine, Heimdall."

This time, Heimdall does smile, and Thor thinks he's absolutely beautiful.

"Jane will be pleased to see you. Beware, my prince. Things are not what they seem on Midgard."

With that, Heimdall sends Thor through the portal, and Thor feels himself fall out of the sky.

* * *

Clearly the humans haven't forgotten the Chitari invasion, because the second Thor touches down on top of Stark Tower, he hears them scream and go into a panic. Perhaps it was too soon to have a giant portal open up in the middle of the sky. The building trembles under Thor's feet before it steadies again. Fandral grins at him.

"You think the Midgardian woman have heard about me yet?"

"I hope they have," Sif says, clocking Fandral upside the head. "So they can avoid you and your less than stellar sex skills."

Volstagg roars with laughter and Thor smiles. It felt good to be back with his friends, their banter flowing easily between them. 

"Thor?" 

Thor looks away from his friends to meet the American Captain, Steve Rogers. Steve steps forward with a grin on his face, pushing the shield into his left hand so he can shake Thor's hand.

"It's good to see you, Thor. You guys were quick," he notes. 

Thor and his friends follow the captain inside and see the rest of the Avengers in full gear, Tony staring wistfully at his alcohol that sat behind the bar on the shelves, barred off from him. 

"Good to see you again, Point Break," Tony says with a grin, tearing his gaze away from the alcohol shelves. "I see you've brought your friends."

"Avengers," Thor rumbles. "Lady Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun of Asgard."

"Sif and the Warriors Three," Bruce murmurs, holding out his hand for them to shake. "I'm Doctor Banner, nice to meet you."

Instead of shaking his hand, the four Asgardians thump a fist to their chest and bow at the same time. "It is an honor to meet the only person on this realm who could possibly best Thor in combat."

Bruce blushes and nods quickly.

"Alright," Steve says, going into Captain America mode. "Now that we're all here, we can get down to business. There's been an attack at in Washington D.C.. Giants have been terrorizing the locals, destroying property."

"Giants?" Sif said slowly. "Are these giants blue with runes carved into their skin?"

"Uh, no," Captain America says back just as slowly. "Should they be?"

Thor sighs in relief.  
"No, it means that it's not the Frost Giants, which is a good thing. I shall fly there, does anyone need a ride?"

* * *

When the Avengers, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three made it to DC, it seemed as though the chaos was mostly over. The giants were just sitting in the small body of water, their limbs hanging out and draped on the sidewalk. The giants chattered happily, using cars and buses as bath toys as they did. There were three giants, and from the back, they all looked the same. Their clothes were regal, so they must be royalty in whatever world they come from.Thor recognized one of the giants, and he felt rage build up inside him. He swooped lower to the ground, his grip on the Black Widow faltering.

"Oceanus!" Thor roared, nearly dropping the Black Widow in his haste to get to his ex-servant's side. She glowered at him and dropped to the ground, landing on her feet. "What are you doing here?"

The others landed and realized that the three giants all looked exactly the same. The giants shimmered before their eyes, contracting until only one giant was left. Then Oceanus shrank until he was only a few inches taller than Thor. He looked positively pleased with himself. Thor looked murderous.

"Thor!" Oceanus grinned. "How are you?" As he spoke, Oceanus waved a hand, and Thor's friends found themselves frozen in place, their bodies stuck in a battle ready stance.

"How am I?" Thor bellowed. "You attempted to drug me, and then you wreck havoc on Midgard just to bring me here! And you attacked my friends!"

Oceanus shrugged.  
"It was the only way we could get your attention. Mother will be pleased to see you, brother."

"Wha-"

Oceanus grabbed Thor's arm and they vanished in thin air. Sif roared in outrage and stabbed her sword through the cement sidewalk. Tony groaned, the face of his suit sliding up so his face was shown.

"That was Gaea's sun," He states rather calmly. "Luckily for us, I managed to hit him with a tracker. We'll know where he took Thor."

"Who is Gaea?" Volstagg asked. "Is she of Asgard?"

"She claims she was banished from there," Black Widow said as she types into a SHIELD issued phone, preparing for the clean up of the nation's capital. "Haven't you ever heard of her?"

Hogun frowned and spoke, surprisingly.  
"Oceanus called Thor-"

"Oh," Tony cuts him off. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you guys. Turns out, Gaea is Thor's real mother, and she has some kind of sinister plan to kidnap Thor from Asgard. Oceanus is her son, and was helping her. But don't worry, Thor's a big boy, he can take care of himself. I've seen him go up against the Hulk. He'll be fine."

Tony received several simultaneous slaps to the head.

* * *

When Thor awoke, he was staring up at the sky. He knew he was bare chested because he could feel blade of grass on his skin as clear as day, still wet with dew. Thor slowly sat up, groaning. His head felt like it had just been hit with Mjolnir. Eyes wide, Thor whipped his head around to look for his hammer. It wasn't in sight. He didn't know if he was on Midgard or another realm. The field he sat in was void of any life, just surrounded with trees and tall grass.

Rising to his feet, Thor stretched, deciding to take a page out of Loki's book and remain calm until he was absolutely sure his life was in danger. He looked around. The place he was at was extremely familiar. He felt like he had been here very recently, like he belonged here.

Thor strode forward and attempted to leave the field. He was thrown back about two feet, his head slamming against the ground hard. Thor snarled, rubbing the growing knot on the back of his head. He pressed a hand to what had thrown him back and felt the force field vibrate with electricity. He could get through, he just needed a running start. Turning on his heel, Thor prepared to run, only to see a woman standing in the center of the field, her back to him.

Her golden hair hung down to her hips, parts of it pinned to the top of her head, a few curls twirling loosely in the wind. The dress she wore was the whitest of white, hugging her hips, sitting heavily at her bare feet. She slowly turned around. Thor felt his breath hitch.

It was her.

It was the woman from his dreams. She was even more beautiful in person. She smiled at him, and in that instant, Thor felt like the most important person in the world. He needed to make her happy, he needed to be good for her. She reached out to him, and he moved forward so that she could curl her soft hands around his wrist.

"My Thor," she murmured, smiling up at him. 

"Who are you?" Thor breathed, wondering if it was fate to have such a beautiful woman happy to see him. "I...Why do I feel like this?"

"It's because you've been waiting for this moment your whole life," she said. "You just didn't know it. I'm so happy we're together again, Thor. No one can take you away from me now."

"I don't know who you are," Thor says, but still allows the woman to pull him closer, his head resting on top of her hair. She smelled like Valhalla.

She pulled away and brushed Thor's hair from his face, letting her fingertips slide from his hairline to his lips.

"I'm your mother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you enjoyed my latest update! Leave comments telling me what you think!


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaea and Thor are reunited, Loki's escape from prison is revealed, and Gaea plots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

**Ten**

* * *

Thor let himself be held in the arms of his true mother, feeling more safe than he ever had before.

Gaea cried into his chest, her soft, delicate hands clutching his muscular arms. "My child!"

It was certainly a relief, Thor could admit, because if Frigga had been his mother, that meant she had treated him with the littlest amount of respect she possibly could. This woman in his arms, Gaea, his mother, smiled at him, her whole body lighting up as if the fact that he existed was enough to get her through the day. She ran her fingers through his messy hair.

"I've waited for this day for as long as I can remember," Gaea whispers against his collarbone, taking his hands in hers. "I've missed you so much!"

"I-" Thor didn't know what to say. He didn't want to sound incompetent in front of this beautiful woman who was his mother. 

"Sh," she murmured, pressing a finger against his lips, smiling up at him. Her eyes, bright blue like his, twinkling. "It's going to be alright. I'm here now."

Thor let Gaea bring him down to his knees, and he let her hands curve around his skull, pulling him forward until his face was pressed against her. His mother. His heart swelled. Maybe everything would be okay now.

"I remember when you were born," Gaea murmurs into his ear, stroking his golden hair. "You were so tiny. Your brothers and sisters were stunned. How could someone so tiny be so powerful? But you were, so powerful and beautiful and pure. You were mine."

Thor pulled away from her and sat by on his legs, staring at her in confusion. "Then why was I raised in Asgard?"

Gaea's face fills with rage so quickly that Thor thinks it's directed at him. His mother jumps to her feet and begins to pace, her dress whipping around her ankles. Her eyes, bright blue, glowed and crackled with raw power, fueled by her intense emotions. The earth under her feet began to wither and die, browning and breaking off into pieces. 

"Odin took you from me," she snarled. "That bastard took you from me and prevented me from entering Asgard." She deflated and sank to the ground, exhausted. "I missed everything, " she whispered, crying. "I missed your first steps, your first words. Odin took everything from me."

Thor rushed to comfort her, puling Gaea into his arms. He felt his own anger at Odin increase ten fold. How dare the AllFather keep him from his mother, deprive both of them of years that should've been spent together? He hadn't known that Odin was capable of doing something like this, but then he remembers that Odin stole Loki from Jotunheim, and he thinks his father is the more intense version of a kleptomaniac. Gaea sobbed into Thor's chest. Thor hated Odin, the man who was responsible for this woman's tears. What else had Odin done?

"He told me he loved me," Gaea said suddenly, leaning her head back so she could look Thor in the eye. "When he first came to Earth, he courted me. I thought.....I thought he loved me. He said that I was his world. He made love to me." She wiped her tears away with her fingertips. "I remember when I told him I was pregnant....I should have seen the calculating glint in his eye. When I gave birth, I had you in my arms, and I cried, because you were so beautiful. My baby boy. He gave me something, he told me it would help me regain my strength, but when I drank it, everything became blurry."

"He _drugged_ you?" Thor gasped, appalled. 

Gaea nodded sadly.  
"When I woke up, my other children were there, panicked. As soon as I had regained my strength, I tried to break into Asgard, but I was unable."

They sit in silence for a while before Thor says, "But....I saw you there once. You held me."

His mother grins. "I was hoping you would remember that. Yes, I managed to get into Asgard once with Heimdall's help. I believe he pitied me, and so he secretly showed me one the secret ways into the realm just a day before it was closed. I posed as a maid and managed to hold you for a while. You called me mommy." She laughs. "I was so happy that you knew who I was. It was so hard, putting you down and walking away. I thought I would never see you again."

She pressed her smooth palm against his cheek, trying to remember as much of him as possible before Odin destroyed their moment.

"I won't let him take me away from you again," Thor promised. "You have my word, mother."

Gaea pulled him into a huge. Over his shoulder, she smiled wickedly and murmured, "I know."

* * *

Gaea led Thor to a nearby waterfall. Her thin, delicate fingers intertwined with his as she lifted her dress to sit on one of the rocks and dip her feet in the cool water. 

"I have so much to tell you," Gaea said excitedly. "There's so many things you need to know!"

"You said I had brothers and sisters," Thor remembered, enjoying the feel of the water lapping at his calves. "How many? Is Odin there father, too?"

Gaea's face twisted in disgust.  
"Nay, you are my only child that was sired by Odin. Your have four brothers and three sisters.There's Chronus, Hyperion, Lusa, and Oceanus, your brothers. Your sisters are Dione, Mnemosyne, and Rhea. I think you'll like them."

"Will...." Thor bit his lip. "Will they like me?"

Gaea smiled softly and touched his face gently.  
"I _know_ they will, darling. They've just been dying to meet you, especially Oceanus."

Thor stiffened and pulled away, something suddenly clicking in his head. "Oceanus? He tried to poison me!"

"No!" Gaea insisted, pulling Thor back down to her level. "No, love, he wasn't...it wasn't what it seemed like! Oceanus was the only one of my children who could successfully hide in plain sight in Asgard. He was going to give you something that would knock you unconscious and he was going to take you out of Asgard. I'm sorry if you felt threatened. It was our best plan at the moment."

"And what he did on Midgard?" Thor questioned.

His mother frowned, "Oh, Thor, please don't call my home that. That's what Odin called it. It's _Earth_ , my love. And yes, Oceanus did cause some minor destruction to persuade Odin to send you here. We were running out of options."

"You could've just asked Heimdall," Thor told her. "He's on my side."

Gaea filed that information away for later, smiling at her son's resourcefulness. If Thor had Heimdall's loyalty, it would certainly be one less person to worry about getting in her way. Odin was still a problem, obviously, and Frigga might prove to be difficult, because even though she didn't like Thor, she was awfully stubborn about letting things go. She didn't have an opinion about Loki yet, although from what she's heard, he could prove to be a problem if he tried to kill Thor again.

"Who else is on your side?" Gaea asked, letting the tip of her index finger to touch Thor's nose. He smiled at her, looking so much like a child that she almost felt bad for using him.

"Loki owes me a favor."

"How so?"

"Um," Thor's eyes strayed away from hers and focused on the waterfall. "I...may have let Loki out of prison before coming here."

* * *

_"Are you sure you can pull this off?" Loki asked, watching Thor fiddle with the edge of his cage. "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself."_

_"I'll leave you here if you can't keep quiet," Thor snapped, finally managing to disable the glowing gold walls around Loki. The instruction manual was detailed enough, but it was hard to read in this level of darkness, and he couldn't exactly turn on a light, not without alerting the guards and other prisoners of his presence.  
_

_Loki quickly grabbed whatever books on magic he thought he would need and took the bag of food from Thor, throwing them both over his back. At the foot of his former cage, at Thor's feet, laid a battered old man that looked like a corpse. His hair, or what was left of it anyway, was hanging by just a few gray, wispy strands. His time in prison hadn't been very kind to him, if the wrinkled, gray skin and scarred face was anything to by. Through his prison garb, something Loki himself had never had to wear because of his Mother's power, one could see his gray, cracked skin stretched taunt over bones. The holey shirt revealed ribs and a trembling, sucked in stomach that hadn't had any food for what could be assumed was a very long time. How long exactly has this man been dead? Loki wasn't sure if his magic would hold up on a person that had been dead for a long period of time._

_Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Loki demanded, "I thought you said you were getting another prisoner!"_

_Thor scoffed.  
"This is one of the prisoners! He's in the back, and he didn't get checked on a lot by the guards. He's gone a long time without food, and so he died. I figured he would be easier to work your magic on since his own inner magic can't fight back."_

_Loki looked at his brother, surprised by his higher level thinking. It looked like his brother did pay attention to some of the lessons.Thor picked up the dead Asgardian and placed him on the bed inside the prison. Thor looked over his shoulder at Loki expectantly. Loki rolled his eyes and waved his hands, the dead man changing form and turning into another copy of the trickster._

_Then, he waved his hands once more, muttering a phrase under his breath that erased his and Thor's magical signatures from the room, and the two quickly left the cage, Thor reactivating the shimmering gold walls. Loki and Thor headed towards the secret staircase that let them out in Thor's wing of the castle._

_Thor strode forward quickly, as quiet as a mouse, Loki hiding in his shadows. Thor peeked out of the hallway towards the open columns and, once making sure the guard turned the corner completely and wasn't returning, he grabbed hold of Loki, whipped Mjolnir in a circle, and took off towards the woods._

_Loki's nails left crescent shaped marks in Thor's arms, his heart beating furiously in his chest as Thor touched down in the middle of the woods, just a few feet from the portal Loki had informed him about. Loki took a step back and stared up Thor, unsure of what to do now._

_"This is where we part ways," Thor murmurs. "This is goodbye."_

_Did he want it to be? Loki wondered. Did he truly never want to see Thor again?_

_"Have you gone soft during your imprisonment?" Thor teases, the smile on his face not reaching his eyes. "Go on, we don't have all day."_

_Loki swallows heavily and makes sure his bags of food, clothing, and other resources were strapped securely to his body. The magic done on them made the bags feather light, no matter how much stuff was put in them. Looking over his shoulder, Loki could see the tips of Asgard's golden structures over the trees, just barely, but it made him think that, no matter what he said, Asgard had been his home for some part of his life. While a good portion of his time here was spent defending himself against the violent, hateful Asgardians, he could recall-vaguely- a few good memories, most of them containing Thor._

_Thor, the shining beacon of light that towered over him , always smiling and roaring with laughter as he knocked back a cup full of mead._

_"Loki," Thor murmured. "Are you having second thoughts?"_

_"Of course not," Loki snapped. "I'm more than ready to leave this hellhole."_

_Thor smiled, and Loki felt his heart clench. He looked away._

_Remembering suddenly, Loki says, "What's this about you doing magic?"_

_Thor's face reddens.  
"I told Sif not to tell anyone!"_

_"I was going to leave and enjoy never seeing you again," Loki drawled, smirking, "but seeing as how you're doing magic, I suppose we'll have to keep in touch, to make sure you don't maim yourself."_

_A grin slowly spread across Thor's face, his eyes sparkling._

_"Of course, I expected nothing else."_

_Thor stood still while Loki touched his face gently. Taking this as an invitation, Thor quickly pulled Loki into a hug._

_"Please be safe."_

_"Of course," Loki purred. "You should expect nothing else." Standing in front of the rapidly closing portal out of the realm, Loki stepped forward, calling out, "Farewell, brother," over his shoulder. He disappeared, the portal snapping shut._

* * *

After hours of talking, Gaea had led her son back to one of her many residences and let him pick a room. Watching Thor race around, considering which room had the best view, or offered the best breeze, or was close enough to the sky was incredibly amusing, and Gaea was grateful to have that moment with him. Once he had settled, Gaea had conjured up a bed and other furniture, and sang Thor to sleep. 

Thor had wanted his room to resemble the one he had in Asgard, but when Gaea beautiful face twisted into a grimace, Thor quickly said that he would be more than fine with the same color scheme, red, black, and white. His room was on the top floor, and had a huge balcony that looked over the backyard of the palace. He had a rather charming view of Gaea' gardens, filled with roses, sunflowers, lilies, and other plants, the grass and surrounding bushes and trees being a home to several creatures. 

She sat on the edge of the cloud-like bed and watched Thor sleep. His chest rose and fell steadily, muscles rippling as he moved. Thor mumbled incoherently and rolled over onto his side, closer to Gaea. The Earth goddess stroked her son's face, pressing her fingers against the outline of his strong jaw. The thunder god leaned into her touch, sighing contentedly. 

With Thor's support, she would rise in power. Thor's allies would become her allies. She could only benefit from having control over the man with All-Sight. Heimdall, like many others in the realm, no doubt loved Thor's existence. From what Thor had told her, Heimdall had been the one to practically raise him, providing emotional and mental support, and Odin had only thought it appropriate to mold Thor into a bloodthirsty warrior. Gaea didn't doubt for a second that Odin had already planned out Thor's life, including who he would marry and who would become his most trusted advisers when Thor became king.

Odin had experienced what had felt like a slap to the face when Thor defied him in every way possible without actually trying; only Thor could fall in love with a mortal and her home planet, and only Thor would be willing to give up the throne to spend more time with his mortal friends. She bet that Odin was still oblivious to how out of control he was; he probably didn't even know that Heimdall's loyalty was with her son.

Gaea knew that Loki would come in handy. His silver tongue was notorious in all the realms, and he was known for talking his way out of any situation, manipulating the situation until it would end how he wanted it to. Combine that with his skill in magic and his not so secret fondness for Thor, he would make a formidable person to have on her side of the war. Loki had also been wronged by Odin and a large number of the other Asgardians, something that could also work in her favor. Loki would be more than happy to slaughter those who made his childhood miserable.

And soon, with the right guidance, Thor could become as powerful as he was supposed to be. She could see him now, crushing Asgard under his feet as his rage slaughtered millions. And it would only progress. And she whispered in his ear, coaching him from the sidelines, he would be desperate to protect the mother that had been taken from him all those years ago, and would do anything she asked. And, if he was a good boy, she would let him spare a few of his mortal friends and keep them as pets, something to keep him occupied when he wasn't needed to destroy another realm and help her rise to power.

"M'ther?" Thor slurred, eyes cracking open.

"I'm here, love," Gaea cooed, using her magic to ease him back into sleep. He would need his energy.

"Love you," he whispered before drifting off again, snoring softly.

"And I you," Gaea breathed in his ear. "More than you'll ever know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully you'll stick around for the next one.


	11. Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing.

**Eleven**

* * *

Odin wonders when he lost his power over Asgard and its citizens. 

Perhaps he was always oblivious to the side glances he would receive when he roamed the streets, seemingly hard of hearing when Asgardians mumbled under their breaths about his less than stellar teaching methods and his harsh rule. Maybe he was just naturally unobservant to the point of where he couldn't even tell that his supposed best friend, the man who he had watched galaxies form with, was more loyal to his own son; Heimdall was a good actor.

Sitting on his throne, Odin closes and eyes and tries to remember when everything changed. Had he even noticed when things had changed? Had things remained the same, and it was he that had changed? Opening his eyes, Odin slowly looked around the throne room, seeing nothing but smooth, gold surfaces. The room felt cold and unwelcoming without his subjects, without someone to rule. With Loki in prison, Thor on Midgard, Frigga's aloofness, and Heimdall's stony silence, he had no one to keep him company. he had made a deal with himself a long time ago that he wouldn't get attached to too many people for the sake of sparing himself the heartbreak that was sure to come as being the king of Asgard.

Groaning slightly, Odin rose from his seat and, using his staff, made his way down to the prisons. It had been a while since he'd seen Loki. With Thor gone, it wasn't like he had anything better to do. Loki would provide for entertainment, no doubt, because he was always so quick to spat ridiculously true accusations at his adoptive father using his quick wit and sharp tongue. Ever since Odin had told him, "No," that day on the bridge, Loki dangling by Thor's hand, he felt strange, as though people were always whispering behind his back and glaring at him when he turned away. Thor had certainly stopped talking to him the day Loki "died," preferring to stay in his room and camp out in the woods whenever Odin tried to speak to him. If anything, Frigga began to hate him even more; she already wished for his death the second he came home with a baby from another woman. With Loki's death, Odin had taken to declining any food she gave him out of the fear of being poisoned to death.

"My King," the two guards said at once, bowing as Odin made his way past them and down the stairs to the dungeon. He walked into the platform and was lowered down into the underground dungeons; he'd never be stupid enough to allow Loki to remain even a fourth of an inch above ground, and so he had placed Loki in the deepest parts of the dungeon.

Gliding down the dirty walkway, Odin lifted his cape to keep his clean and ignored the pitiful cries of the other prisoners as they begged for freedom, pleading, "I'm innocent! I didn't do it! I'm innocent!" 

Reaching his son's cage a while later, Odin was surprised to find Loki sleeping. Loki had always made sure he was awake during visiting hours, and even at night the time Odin tried to surprise him, Loki had been awake, green eyes glowing and eager to rip into his latest victim. Last Odin had heard, Loki had even taken to verbally assaulting Frigga. Looking around the cage, Odin wondered why it looked as though a tornado had ripped through. Books were strewn around the bookcase, and from looking at them, he could tell that a lot were missing. The nice couch Frigga had put in the cage for him had also been torn up, the stuffing ripped from the cushions and thrown carelessly on floor. And on the floor was...blood.

Blood!

Quickly prying open the bottom right hidden panel on the prison cell, Odin jerked backwards, stunned to see that the wires looked like they had been cut and then mended back together sloppily. Bringing down the shimmering gold walls, Odin walked inside, careful to leave everything undisturbed. Loki's body looked small and frail on the soft bed. He didn't even look like he was breathing. Odin slowly reached a hand forward, wondering why, after years of refusing to do so, Loki slept with his back to the door. 

The second his hand met Loki's shoulder, the man on the bed shimmered and was transformed into something else. Gasping, Odin ripped his hand away from the rotting corpse of another prisoner. Bile rose in Odin's throat as he looked at the blood on the floor, smeared and splattered on several books and on the edge of the bookcase. Running out of the cage, Odin opened his mouth to call for the guards, but stopped when he saw a crack in the dungeon wall just a few yards away from Loki's cage. It would have been hidden by the shadows had the crack in the wall not let in a golden light. Odin pried his fingers into the crack and pulled. The crack wasn't a crack, and instead was a door that led to a stairwell.

* * *

"How come we've never heard of this secret staircase that led to the dungeon?" Frigga asked breathlessly as she hurried to keep up with Odin's fast paced, rage filled stride. "Do you think he got out by himself?" She sounded like she was proud. Odin resisted the urge to knock her upside the head with his staff.

"Nay," Odin snarled. "There's no way he could have opened the cage from the inside, not when the lock was on the outside and his magic was restricted."

"Well, who else could have helped him?" Frigga demanded. "Thor's not even on this realm, and Sif and the Warriors Three aren't exactly Loki's biggest fans."

She was right. How could Loki have gotten out? Not only did Thor's friends hate Loki, but ninety-nine point nine percent of all people in the this galaxy despised Loki's very existence. Loki had made an enemy out of more people than Odin thought possible. Loki had even made himself an enemy of his own people, the Jotuns.

"Perhaps Heimdall can shed some light," Odin mused. "He would have told me if he had seen anyone let Loki out of prison."  
He figured that of all people, Heimdall should be the one to understand why it was so important to keep Loki locked away in the deepest, darkest hole they could find. Loki was clever, too clever, and he wouldn't make the same mistakes twice. With just his sharp tongue, Loki was brilliant. With his silver tongue and his magic, he was a force to be reckoned with. The only person with enough power to defy the Trickster was the one person who loved him the most, and Thor certainly wasn't going to cause any harm to the Frost Giant runt that he still insisted was his brother.

Heimdall was silent when he was questioned, staring at them with emotionless eyes. Odin waited for Heimdall's response, the prolonged silence making him wonder if Loki truly had managed to break himself out of prison and get away without anyone noticing. 

"Heimdall," Odin said again, quieter. "Did you know that there was a secret stairwell that led to the dungeons."

A beat of silence, and then, "I did."

Anger swelled in Odin's chest. He sent Frigga to wait outside with the guards, but from his peripheral vision, he could see Frigga and the guards waiting by the entrance to the Observatory, desperate to hear about Loki's escape.

"Did someone help Loki break out of his cage?" Odin asked.

Heimdall replied, "Yes."

"Who was it?"

"You will not like the answer."

"Heimdall." Odin took a deep breath. "You are my oldest friend. I do not wish to punish you, but if you have committed treason..."

"I have committed treason, my king," Heimdall says calmly, and the Asgardians at the entrance of the room gasp, shuffle closer to hear better. "I have been committing treason for a while now. Who do you think let Gaea into Asgard?"

 _"How dare you!"_ Odin roared, slamming his staff down into the golden floor so hard that it dented horrifically. "After everything I have done for you!"

Heimdall fingered his sword. He turned his back on the king and looked out into the stars. He smiled.  
"You thought you knew your son, but you doubted how far he would go for the ones he loves. How far he would go for Loki."

Odin felt weaker, and he pressed a hand to the wall to steady himself, praying that it wasn't true.  
Thor....could his own flesh and blood have committed treason and let someone as dangerous as Loki roam free?

No,  it couldn't be possible. Loki had hurt Thor more than anyone else. And if Thor did help Loki, it was because Loki had found a way to control him through his cell. Yes, that was it. Loki had always been resourceful. Odin didn't doubt that Loki used the books Frigga had given him to find a way around the magic forbidding wards that were infused in the golden walls of his cage.

"Heimdall," Odin pleaded. "Why have you done this?"

Heimdall turns and looks him in the eye, a storm brewing behind his bright, golden eyes. He stepped forward.

"I still see you as my friend, even if you are misguided," Heimdall declared. He leaned closer to Odin, and said, "You must prepare for the war to come. She has him in her grasps, and she won't let him go. She will be unstoppable."

"War?" Odin gaped. "What are you-"

"You should have killed Gaea when you had the chance," Heimdall told him, smirking. "But now she will come for you, and with Thor on her side, she will be unstoppable."

Heimdall slammed the handle of his sword into Odin's head, knocking him sideways. Through blurry vision that slowly cleared, Odin saw Heimdall take out the guards, throw Frigga across the room, and activate the Bifrost, disappearing in a beam of bright light.

* * *

Frigga paced her and Odin's private quarters, mouth scrunched up like there was a bitter taste in her mouth. She should have known. Gaea, like any other woman in the universe, would be furious with Odin for doing what he did. Although Frigga hated Gaea with a passion, she couldn't deny that she was justified to be furious. 

Sitting on the soft couch that sat by the open balcony, Frigga took a deep breath and tried to see Gaea's side of things. Crazy as that woman may be, she didn't know that Odin was married, Frigga could admit that. Gaea did, after all, live on Midgard and as a result was oblivious to the happenings on other realms. Gaea had _genuinely_ thought that Odin cared for her, that she and Odin could be a happy family, and in the end, she was punished for her wishful thinking. Frigga's own anger at Odin rose on Gaea's behalf; it had suddenly occurred to her that not only did Odin cheat on her, but he didn't even do it for genuine attraction to Gaea, he just slept with her because he wanted a powerful heir for the throne of Asgard.

Now that Frigga thought about it, she had no choice but to realize that the reason Odin cheated on her was because he didn't think she'd be able to bear a strong child. Thor was born just a few months after Baldur, which meant that Odin thought their son weak even before she gave birth. Shame made Frigga's cheeks turn red and she clenched her hands into fists, sucking in air through her mouth.

"Oh, I'm a monster," she whispered to herself. 

All those years she had treated Thor horribly, but the poor boy didn't even know how horrible his father was. Frigga had to admit that Thor had always had a good heart, something he didn't get from Odin. Thor had always been so quick to forgive and to accept and hadn't even questioned the sudden appearance of Loki or why his new brother looked nothing like him. Oh, she was sure Thor suspected, because Thor may be many things, but he wasn't an idiot. She knew that Thor, out of the goodness of his heart, pretended to be stupid so that Loki could be good at something. She knew that Thor purposefully did bad in magic lessons so Loki could have something to brag about. Because of her bitterness at Odin's betrayal, she had thrown away an opportunity to become someone Thor would do anything for. 

Swallowing heavily, Frigga placed a hand against her flat stomach and began to cry. 

 _How could I?_ Frigga asked herself. _How could I treat another woman's child so horribly? What if someone had treated Baldur the way I treated Thor?_

If Gaea attacked Asgard, it would be within her rights; Asgard had turned her loving, carefree son into a bloodthirsty warrior with prejudices forced on him by his horrid father, who hadn't even raised him really. If anything, Thor had raised himself, with some guidance from Heimdall here and there. Honestly, Thor turned out pretty good given the circumstances, but maybe it had something to do with his banishment to Midgard.

She had lost Baldur.

She had lost Loki.

But, by the Nine, she was going to do right this time.

* * *

While Thor slept, Gaea checked in on Jane. 

"How are you doing?" she asked the female scientist.

Jane looked excited.  
"I think I'm really close," she said. "However, being on Earth, I don't think I'll have access to the power this machine needs."

"It needs a lot?"

"More than a lot," Jane sighed, running a hand through her tangled, messy hair that she hadn't brushed in days. She'd spent forever in one of Stark's labs to get this far because she just had to be able to reach Asgard. She had to. "Even with all the power on Earth, this machine wouldn't have enough to run properly. But there's nothing on this planet that can fuel it, so unless you have, like, another Tesseract or something-"

"I can get you something."

"I...what?" Jane frowned. "I thought there was only one Tesseract."

Gaea smiled.  
"You are correct. However, there are other relics with just as much power, maybe even more, and they're indestructible. There are things in this universe called the Infinity Stones. You won't be able to touch them and neither will I; the stones become active the second they touch something organic, which means living."

"Is this even legal," Jane laughed nervously. "I don't want to break the laws of the universe or anything."

Gaea glided forward and laid her palm on Jane's cheek, calming her.  
"You're already breaking the laws of the universe. No mortal should have captured a God's heart, but haven't you captured Thor's? No mortal should be able to create a machine that could mimic the Bifrost, one of the most advanced pieces of machinery that Asgard has, but you did. Don't you see, Jane? You were meant for this! It's in your destiny. Every moment in your life has been preparing you for this moment."

Jane blushed, biting her bottom lip. "Are, are you sure?"

The Earth goddess smiled and nodded. "I have faith in you, my love. I will retrieve the power source, and you make sure no one messes with your creation. People will be jealous and will try to take credit for the amazing things you can do."

Gaea left Jane and returned to her home.

Thor was still sleep.

* * *

Word had reached the citizens of Asgard about Heimdall's leaving, and the guards who had been on the scene had been more than eager to share what they knew, enjoying the scandalized reactions of the citizens when they learned that there golden prince of Asgard had committed treason and had actually switched sides. But the focus wasn't just on Thor and Heimdall. No, Odin faced the wrath as well.

He had to ban all visitors to the castle after three hours of angry Asgardians criticizing his parenting skills along with is inability to see that the gatekeeper of Heimdall was no longer loyal to him. Odin hated the questions because he'd been asking himself that ever since Heimdall attacked him, and he didn't have the answers. 

Odin didn't know what he was going to do. With almost no one on his side, and Frigga locked away in their private quarters, miserable, he didn't have anyone to give him council, to offer assistance for the upcoming war Heimdall was talking about. He had planned on keeping Gaea away from Thor forever, but Heimdall was right about one thing: he should have killed Gaea when he had the chance. Now it was too late. He wouldn't be able to keep Gaea without Thor and others retaliating; no doubt Gaea's other children were waiting in the shadows for him to slip up.

He knew that Gaea had to have planned Thor's departure from Asgard. But how? The only way she could have known anything about Asgardian affairs was if she had someone on the inside, or if Heimdall let her in. But he knew that Heimdall wasn't talking about recently, he was talking about a long time ago when Thor was but a babe. 

Odin can clearly recall when he had been in the hallway of Thor's nursery and heard his son's joyful laughter and delighted squeals. At first, he thought Frigga had finally gotten over herself, but when he glanced out into the courtyard a minute later, he had seen Frigga sitting in the gardens. Terrified, he had hauled ass back to Thor's room and found it empty. Panicked, Odin roared for the guards and screamed at the nannies who were supposed to be watching the baby god of thunder. Thor had been found an half an hour later in the gardens by the east wing of the castle, sitting alone in the grass with a shimmering flower crown sitting on his head made of red and white roses. 

Thor had looked up at him, bright blue eyes shining, and giggled. His son had pointed into the field that led to the forests and when he looked up, he'd seen a pair of angry blue eyes staring back at him before they disappeared.

Shaking his head, Odin knew he had to find Thor before Gaea got her hooks in too deep. She would fill Thor's head with petty lies and tall tales to make herself look better in comparison. The only problem was that Thor had to know what Odin did to produce him, and he'd be angry about that; Thor was always passionate about respecting women, something Odin certainly hadn't taught him. 

Gaea had power now. With Thor on her side, she would unlock the abilities that Odin had locked away inside the god of thunder and unleash him and his fresh, righteous rage onto the world. Heimdall was loyal Thor and so he was in Gaea's army by default. Thor had freed Loki from prison and so the Trickster owed him, and Loki hated it when Thor's attention wasn't on him, so he'd be back. With those three and her already powerful children, Gaea wouldn't have to work too hard to take over whichever realm she was aiming for.

Odin swallowed heavily as everything came crashing down around him. What he once thought were elaborate, fool proof, justified plans at securing Asgard's future proved to only lead to more destruction, heartbreak, and death. He didn't want to lose his son, not to this woman. He was much happier when Thor was focused on that mortal woman he had fallen in love with. 

Jane.

That was it!

Jane would be Thor's motivation to remain good. If Gaea ordered Thor to destroy Midgard, Thor would then see Gaea's true nature and defend Midgard and its people against her forces, driven by his love for Jane and his mortal friends. But how to reach Jane? What if Gaea had already gotten to her? Mortals were so easily influenced, after all, it wouldn't take much for Jane to fall under Gaea's spell. All Gaea had to do was throw out a few compliments towards Jane's higher than average intelligence and give the okay for Jane and Thor to continue their relationship, and Jane would see Gaea as the accepting, tenderhearted goddess that was nicer than all of the Asgardians put together. 

Odin took a deep breath and fought to keep his lunch down. 

His carefully built empire was falling dangerously fast, and if he didn't act soon, everything he'd done would be for nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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